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A 


PRESENTED  JO 


The  HWE1SIT!  of  CALIFORNIA, 

BY 
EDMON1)  I,  GOOLI). 

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EDDYSTONE    LIGHTHOUSE. 


LIGHTHOUSES 


LIGHTSHIPS: 

t/  A  a» 


A   DESCRIPTIVE  AND   HISTORICAL  ACCOUNT  OF?J&EIR  M(5tfE 

OF  CONSTRUCTION  AND  ORGANISATION. 

X^VST-T 


W.    H.   DAVENPORT   ADAMS, 

AUTHOK  OF  "  BUKIKD  CJTIES  OF  CAMPANIA,"  "  QUEKN  OF  THK 
ADRIATIC,"  "EARTH  AND  SKA,"  ETC. 


illustrations  from  photographs  aub  other  sources. 


NEW    YORK:' 

SCKIBNER 


CO. 


1870. 


0 


V        J 


K^    ' 
llustrated  library  of  Wonders. 


PUBLISHED    BY 


liters. 


654  BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 
Each  one  volume  12mo.  Price  per  volume,  $1.50. 


Titles  of  Books.  No.  of  Illustrations 

THUNDER  AND  LIGHTNING,     .......  39 

WONDERS  OF  OPTICS,         ...  70 

WONDERS  OF  HEAT,       ........  90 

INTELLIGENCE  OF  ANIMALS,          ......  54 

GSEAT  HUNTS,     .........  22 

EGYPT  3,300  YEARS  AGO, 40 

WONDERS  OF  POMPEII,             .                      .....  22 

THE  SUN,  BY  A.  GUILLEMIN,         .  58 

SUBLIME  IN  NATURE,     ........  50 

WONDERS  OF  GLASS-MAKING,       ......  63 

WONDERS  OF  IT  ALT  AN  ART,     .......  28 

WONDERS  OF  THE  HUMAN  BODY,  ...  .45 

WONDERS  OF  ARCHITECTURE,           .          .          .           .           .  5 • ; 

LIGHTHOUSES  AND  LIGHTSHIPS,     ......  60 

BOTTOM  OF  THE  OCEAN,                     ......  68 

WONDERS  OF  BODILY  STRENGTH  AND  HKILL,                          .          .  70 
WONDERFUL  BALLOON  ASCENTS,       ....                     .30 

ACOUSTICS,     .........  114 

WONDERS  OF  THE  HEAVENS,    ......  .48 

THE  MOON,  BY  A.  GUILLEMIN,         .       .                     ...  60 

WONDERS  OF  SCULPTURE,         .......  61 

WONDERS  OF  ENGRAVING,              .....  32 

WONDERS  OF  VEGETATION,     .......  45 

WONDERS  OF  THE  INVISIBLE  WORLD,         .                     .          .  97 

CELEBRATED  ESCAPES,             .           .           .           .           .           ...  26 

WATER.           .........  77 

HYDRAULICS,                 ........  40 

ELECTRICITY,            ........  71 

SUBTERRANEAN  WORLD,          .......  27 

*  In  Press  for  early  Publication. 


The  above  works  sent  to  any  address,  postpaid,  upon  receipt  of  the.  price  by  tttf 
publishers. 


[HE  importance  of  the  Lighthouse  system  which 
protects  our  seamen  against  the  numerous 
dangers  and  difficulties  of  the  British  shores 
is  fully  appreciated  by  every  Englishman. 
But  it  may  reasonably  be  doubted  whether  the  general 
public  have  any  correct  idea  of  its  completeness,  of  the  ad- 
ministrative principles  which  regulate  its  management,  or 
of  the  steps  by  which  it  has  attained  its  present  develop- 
ment. They  know  but  little,  moreover,  of  the  engineer- 
ing skill  which  has  been  so  successfully  exercised  in  the 
construction  of  Lighthouses,  or  of  the  scientific  knowledge 
which  has  been  brought  to  bear  upon  the  perfection  of  their 
illuminating  apparatus.  It  may  safely  be  said,  that  for  a 
large  number  of  readers,  the  alpha  of  their  information,  on 
this  subject,  is  the  Eddystone,  and  their  omega  the  Bell 
Rock. 

If  such  be  the  case,  it  may  be  presumed  that  the  present 
volume  will  be  accepted  as  an  honest  attempt  to  supply  an 
admitted  deficiency.  It  is  based  on  the  best  authorities, 
and  its  pages  have  been  revised  by  competent  critics.  Its 
aim  is  to  furnish  in  a  popular  and  intelligible  form  a 
description  of  the  Lighthouse  as  it  is  and  as  it  was — of  the 


6  PREFACE. 

rude  Roman  pharos  or  old  sea-tower,  with  its  flickering 
fire  of  wood  or  coal,  and  the  modern  pharos,  shapely  and 
yet  substantial,  with  its  powerful  illuminating  apparatus 
of-  lamp  and  lenses,  shining  ten,  or  twelve,  or  twenty  miles 
across  the  waves.  The  gradual  improvement  of  this 
apparatus  is  concisely  indicated.  Sketches  are  furnished 
of  the  most  remarkable  Lighthouses  in  Great  Britain  and 
France,  and  a  detailed  account  is  given  of  the  mode  of  life 
of  their  keepers,  with  full  particulars  of  the  administrative 
systems  adopted  at  home  and  abroad.  As  auxiliaries  in 
the  noble  work  of  guarding  the  seaman  against  the  perils 
of  rock  and  shoal,  the  Lightship,  the  Buoy,  and  the  Beacon, 
have  also  found  a  place  in  our  pages ;  and  the  volume 
closes  with  a  list  of  all  the  Lights  existing  on  the  coasts  of 
England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland  at  the  present  time. 

In  my  description  of  the  French  Lighthouses  I  have  been 
much  indebted  to  M.  Renard's  book,  "  Les  Phares."  The 
information  given  respecting  British  Lighthouses  has  been 
drawn  from  a  variety  of  sources,  the  more  important  of 
which  are  duly  acknowledged.  I  have  also  derived  many 
particulars  from  personal  examination  ;  and  some  interest- 
ing data  and  corrections  have  been  supplied  by  Mr. 
Thomas  Stevenson,  the  Engineer  to  the  Board  of  Northern 
Lights,  and  the  worthy  member  of  a  family  long  associated 
with  lighthouse  engineering. 

The  Illustrations  are  from  photographs,  unpublished 
sketches,  and  other  authentic  originals.  Those  of  the 
French  Lighthouses  are  copied,  by  permission,  from  M. 
Renard. 

W.  H.  DAVENPOKT  ADAMS. 

May  1870. 


BOOK   I. 

ANCIENT   HISTORY   OF   LIGHTHOUSES. 

I.  The  Fire-towers  of  the  Mediterranean,             9 

II.  The  Pharos  of  Alexandria,         17 

III.  The  "  Tour  d'Ordre  "  of  Boulogne,         30 

IV.  The  Tower  at  Dover,        ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          .,          ..38 

V.  The  Colossus  of  Rhodes,             43 


BOOK  II. 

THE   SCIENCE   OF   LIGHTHOUSES. 

I.  How  they  are  Administered,      ..          ..          ..          ..          ..          ..49 

II.  Geographical  Distribution  of  Lighthouses,      ..          ..          ..          ..      62 

III.  The  Illuminating  Apparatus  of  Lighthouses, 68 

IV.  The  Interior  of  a  Lighthouse, 95 


BOOK   III. 

LIGHTHOUSES   OF   GREAT   BRITAIN. 

I.  The  Story  of  the  Eddystone  :  A.t>.  1696,  1706,  1759, 108 

II.  The  Smalls  Lighthouse, 133 

III.  The  Bell  Rock,  A.  D.  1807-1811, 139 

IV.  The  Skerryvore  Lighthouse, 171 

V.  North  Unst,  1854.— Sunderland,  1841, 181 

VI.  Lighthouses  on  the  English  Coast,         180 


8  CONTENTS. 

.BOOK  IV. 

LIGHTHOUSES   IX   FRANCE. 

I.  The  Tour  de  Cordouan, 212 

II.  The  Lighthouses  of  Cape  La  Heve,        224 

III.  The  Lighthouse  of  the  H§aux  of  Brghat,          233 

IV.  The  Grand  Barge  d'Olonne,  A.  D.  1861, 245 

V.  The  Lighthouses  of  Walde,  the  Enfant  Perdu,  and  New  Caledonia, 

A.D.  1859— 1863— 18G5,  ..     249 


BOOK  V. 

THE   AUXILIARIES   OF   LIGHTHOUSES. 

I.  Floating  Lights  :  Lightships, 253 

II.  Landmarks,  Beacons,  and  Buoys,          . .     264 


BOOK  VI. 

LIFE  IN  THE   LIGHTHOUSE. 

I.  The  Lighthouse-keepers,  276 


APPENDIX. 

I.  A  List  of  Lights  on  the  British  and  Irish  Coasts,        289 

II.  A  Night  in  a  Lightship, 312 

INDEX, 315 


LIGHTHOUSES 

AND 

LIGHTSHIPS. 


BOOK   I. 

ANCIENT  HISTORY  OF  LIGHTHOUSES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    FIRE- TOWERS    OF    THE    MEDITERRANEAN. 

E  are  apt  to  look  upon  the  lighthouse  as 
completely  a  modern  invention,  but  a  little 
reflection  would  convince  us  that  the  early 
navigators,  in  their  arduous  struggle  against 
the  ocean,  could  not  have  failed  to  establish  some  sure 
indications  by  which  to  guide  their  adventurous  course. 
Undoubtedly,  the  first  rude  signal  would  be  no  more 
than  a  huge  fire  blazing  on  the  wave-washed  promontory, 
or  on  the  summit  of  hoary  hill  or  grassy  mound  nearest 
to  the  more  dangerous  parts  of  the  shore.  But  it  can 
easily  be  conceived  that  the  difficulty  of  keeping  these 


J  0  LIGHT-  TO  WERS  OF  EG  YP  T. 

fires  kindled  on  stormy  nights  would  soon  suggest  to 
man's  ingenuity  the  idea  of  erecting  a  suitable  structure 
for  their  shelter. 

The  value  of  this  kind  of  coast  defences  was  so  apparent, 
that  the  ancients  felt  unable  to  ascribe  them  to  simple 
human  invention.  And  thus  the  Greeks  attributed  their 
origin  to  the  demigod  Hercules.  But  there  seems  some 
reason  to  believe  that,  long  before  Greece  became  a  mari- 
time nation,  light-towers  had  been  built  by  the  Lybians 
and  the  Cuthites  along  the  coast-line  of  Lower  Egypt. 
These  towers,  we  are  told,*  served  as  landmarks  during 
the  day,  as  beacons  during  the  night.  Their  purpose  was 
a  holy  one,  and  accordingly  they  were  also  used  as  temples, 
and  each  was  dedicated  to  a  divinity.  The  mariner,  who 
naturally  held  them  in  great  veneration,  enriched  them 
with  his  votive  offerings.  It  has  been  conjectured  by 
some  authorities  that  their  walls  at  first  were  painted  with 
charts  of  the  Mediterranean  coast  and  of  the  navigation  of 
the  Nile ;  these  charts  being  afterwards  transferred  to 
papyrus.  The  priests  of  these  singular  but  valuable  in- 
stitutions taught  the  sciences  of  hydrography  and  pilotage, 
and  the  art  of  steering  a  vessel's  course  by  the  aid  of  the 
constellations.  On  the  summit  of  each  tower  a  fire  was 
continually  burning ;  the  fire  being  placed  in  a  machine 
of  iron  or  bronze,  composed  of  three  or  four  branches, 
each  representing  a  dolphin  or  some  other  marine  animal, 
and  all  bound  together  by  skilful  decorative  work.  The 
machine  was  attached  to  the  extremity  of  a  stout  pole, 
and  so  placed  that  its  radiance  was  directed  seaward. 

According  to  the  Baron  de  Zach,  in  his  "  Correspon- 

*  Renard,  "  Les  Phares  "  (Paris,  1867). 


AX  ETYMOLOGICAL  DIVERSION.  11 


THE   BEACON   FIRE. 


dance  Astronomique,"  the  Lybian  appellation  for  these 
towers  was  tar}  or  tor*  As  is  signifies  "  fire,"  we  thus 
obtain  the  compound  Tor-is,  or  "fire-tower;"  whence  the 
Greeks  derived  their  rtippts,  and  the  Latins  their  turris. 
In  like  manner,  the  Latin  column  a  conies,  it  is  said,  from 
Col-On,  the  "  pillar  of  the  sun." 

Some  authorities  boldly  carry  this  etymological  diver- 

*  Tor  is  Celtic  for  a  height,  as  in  the  tors,  or  granite  hills,  of  Dartmoor. 


12  LEGENDS  AND  COMMENTARIES. 

sion  a  little  further.  "When  the  fire-towers  were  situated 
upon  eminences  outside  the  boundaries  of  cities,  and  con- 
structed of  a  circular  form,  they  were  called  Tith.  The 
mythological  Tithonus,  so  celebrated  for  his  longevity, 
seems,  they  assert,  to  have  been  one  of  these  edifices  dedi- 
cated to  the  sun ;  and  Thetis,  the  ancient  ocean-goddess, 
simply  a  fire-tower  near  the  sea,  called  Thit-is.  Nor  have 
ingenious  theorists  been  wanting  to  maintain  that  the 
massacre  of  the  Cyclops,  who,  according  to  the  old  legend, 
were  stricken  by  Apollo's  arrows,  was  nothing  but  a 
poetical  version  of  the  manner  in  which  the  fires  of  the 
Cyclopean  towers,  planted  on  the  eastern  coasts  of  Sicily, 
were  extinguished  by  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun.* 

The  impression  which  the  light-tower  produced  on  the 
popular  imagination  is,  however,  more  beautifully,  as  well 
as  more  certainly,  described  by  Homer  in  a  well-known 
passage  of  the  "  Iliad"  (bk.  xix.  375) :— 

"  As  to  seamen  o'er  the  wave  is  borne 
The  watch-fire's  light,  which,  high  among  the  hills, 
Some  shepherd  kindles  in  his  lonely  fold." 

In  our  English  Bible  the  word  beacon  occurs  but  once 
— namely  in  the  Prophecies  of  Isaiah  (xxx.  17),  who 
lived  about  two  centuries  later  than  Homer ;  but  in  the 
Septuagint  version,  the  same  word  is  rendered  as  a  "  flag- 
staff "  or  "  perch,"  and  unquestionably  refers  to  a  land- 
signal  rather  than  to  a  maritime  light. 

The  first  pharos  which  performed  its  duties  in  a  regular 
manner  seems  to  have  been  that  which  Lesches,  the  author 

*  As  Mr.  Stevenson  says  (in  his  "  Treatise  on  Lighthouses  "),  a  notion  so  fan- 
ciful  as  this  deserves  little  consideration. 


A  NCIENT  LIGHTHO  USES.  1 3 

of  the  "Little  Iliad"  (who  flourished  about  the  9th 
Olympiad),  erected  on  the  promontory  of  Sigeum,  at 
the  entrance  of  the  Hellespont.  It  is  figured  in  the 
Iliac  Table. 

Though  the  most  ancient  in  our  records,  the  honour  was 
not  reserved  to  it  of  bequeathing  its  name  to  its  succes- 
sors, any  more  than  to  Columbus  the  glory  of  leaving  his 
name  to  the  New  World.  This  honour  was  gained  by  the 
mighty  tower  elevated  on  the  island  of  Pharos,  at  Alex- 
andria, which  served  as  a  model  for  some  of  the  most 
celebrated  lighthouses  erected  in  later  times.  Such  was 
the  case  with  the  pharos  built  by  the  Emperor  Claudian 
at  Ostia,  which  appears  to  have  been  the  most  remarkable 
of  any  on  the  Latin  coast.  It  was  situated  upon  a  break- 
water, or  artificial  island,  which  occupied  the  mid  space 
between  the  two  huge  moles  that  formed  the  harbour ;  * 
and  its  ruins  were  extant  as  late  as  the  fifteenth  century, 
when  they  were  visited  by  Pope  Pius  II.  Not  less  stately 
was  the  pharos  which  guided  the  seamen  into  the  port  of 
Puteoli,  the  emporium  of  the  foreign  trade  of  Imperial 
Rome ;  nor  that  which  Augustus  erected  at  the  entrance 
of  his  new  harbour  of  Ravenna,  and  which  Pliny  describes 
with  so  much  enthusiasm ;  nor  that,  again,  which  shed 
its  warning  light  from  the  mole  of  Messina  over  the  whirl- 
pool of  Charybdis  and  the  rock  of  Scylla ;  nor  that  which 
blazed  in  the  island  of  Capreee,  and  was  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake  shortly  before  the  death  of  Tiberius. 

Dionysius  of  Byzantium  f  describes  a  celebrated  light- 

*  Suetonius,  "  Claudian,"  20. 

t  Author  of  an  "AvarrAous  BooTropov,  circa  A.  D.  190. 


14  A   CELEBRATED  PHAROS. 

house  planted  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Chrysorrhoas, 
where  the  latter  mingles  its  waters  with  those  of  the  Thra- 
cian  Bosphorus  (the  modern  channel  of  Constantinople). 
"  On  the  crest  of  the  hill,"  he  says,  "  whose  base  is  washed 
by  the  Chrysorrhoas,  may  be  seen  the  Timean  tower,  of 
an  extraordinary  height ;  and  from  its  summit  the  spec- 
tator beholds  a  vast  expanse  pf  sea.  It  has  been  built  for 
the  safety  of  the  navigator,  fires  being  kindled  for  their 
guidance ;  which  was  all  the  more  necessary  because  the 
shores  of  this  sea  are  without  ports,  and  no  anchor  can 
reach  its  bottom.  But  the  barbarians  of  the  coast  lighted 
other  fires  on  the  loftiest  points  of  the  coast,  to  deceive  the 
mariner,  and  profit  by  his  shipwreck.  At  present,"  adds 
our  author,  "  the  tower  is  partly  ruined,  and  no  lantern 
is  lighted  in  it." 

Strabo  refers  in  exaggerated  terms  to  a  superb  pharos 
of  stone  at  Capio,  or  Apio,  near  the  harbour  of  Menes- 
theus — the  modern  Puerto  de  Santa  Maria.  It  stood  on 
a  rocky  headland,  nearly  surrounded  by  the  sea,  and  served 
as  a  guide  for  vessels  through  the  shallow  channels  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Guadalquivir.* 

What  was  the  form  of  the  Roman  light-towers  ?  This 
is  a  question  not  easily  answered,  when  we  remember  that 
Herodian  compares  them  to  the  catafalques  of  the  em- 
perors. The  catafalques  were  square ;  but  it  is  certain 
that  quadrangular  lighthouses  were  very  seldom  con- 
structed. Montfaucon  reproduces  a  medallion,  from  the 
famous  cabinet  of  the  Marechal  d'Estrees,  which  represents 
a  Roman  lighthouse  as  a  circular  tower,  built  in  four 

*  Strabo,  Edit.  Oxon.,  1867,  p.  184. 


ITS  CIRCULAR  FORM. 


15 


A   ROMAN   PHAROS   (FROM  A   MEDAL   IN   THE  D'.ESTREES'   COLLECTION). 

stories  of  decreasing  diameter.  Another  medal,  discovered 
at  Apameia,  in  Bithynia,  and  also  figured  by  Montfaucon, 
likewise  depicts  a  circular  building.  This  medal  bore 
the  following  inscription  : — "  Colonia  Augusta  Apameia, 
Colonia  Julia  Concordia  decreto  decurionum." 

Murleia,  in  Bithynia,  was  founded  by  a  colony  from 
Colophon,  but  having  been  captured  by  Philip  of  Mace- 
donia, he  gave  it  to  Prusias,  King  of  Bithynia,  who  called 
it  after  his  wife  Apameia.  It  was  situated  on  the  south 
coast  of  the  Gulf  of  Ciusr  and  to  the  north-west  of  Prusa. 


1G 


MED  A  L  OF  APA  ME  I  A . 


The  Romans  converted  it  into  a  colonia,  apparently  about 
the  time  of  Julius  Csesar ;  certainly  not  later  than  that  of 
Augustus.*  And  we  shall  hereafter  see  that  the  pharos 
at  Dover,  as  at  Boulogne,  was  also  of  this  form. 

*  See  Dr.  Smith's  "Dictionary  of  Greek  and  Roman  Geography,"  vol.  i., 
sub.  nom. 


ROMAN   PHAROS    (AFTER  A   MEDAL   OF   APAMEIA' 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  PHAROS  OF  ALEXANDRIA. 

1NE  of  the  most  famous  lighthouses  of  antiquity, 
as  I  have  already  pointed  out,  was  the  pharos 
of  Alexandria,  which  ancient  writers  included 
among  the  Seven  Wonders  of  the  World.  It 
might  naturally  be  supposed  that  the  founder  of  so  re- 
markable a  monument  of  architectural  skill  would  be  well 
known;  yet  while  Strabo  and  Pliny,  Eusebius,  Suidas, 
and  Lucian  ascribe  its  erection  to  Ptolemajus  Philadelphus, 
the  wisest  and  most  benevolent  of  the  Ptolemean  kings  of 
Egypt,  by  Tzetzes  and  Ammianus  Marcellinus  the  honour 
is  given  to  Cleopatra ;  and  other  authorities  even  attribute 
it  to  Alexander  the  Great. 

All  that  can  with  certainty  be  affirmed  is,  that  the 
architect  was  named  Sostrates.  Montfaucon,  in  his  great 
work,  endeavours  to  explain  how  it  is  that  while  we  are 
thus  informed  as  to  the  architect,  we  are  so  doubtful  as  to 
the  founder,  whom,  for  his  part,  he  believes  to  have  been 
Ptolemaeus.  Our  ignorance,  he  says,  is  owing  to  the 
knavery  of  Sostrates.  He  wished  to  immortalize  his 
name ;  a  blameless  wish,  if  at  the  same  time  he  had  not 


18  AN  ANCIENT  LEGEND. 

sought  to  suppress  that  of  the  founder,  whose  glory  it  was 
to  have  suggested  the  erection.  For  this  purpose  Sostrates 
devised  a  stratagem  which  proved  successful ;  deep  in  the 
wall  of  the  tower  he  cut  the  following  inscription:  "  Sos- 
trates of  Cnidos,  son  of  Dexiphanes,  to  the  gods  who 
Protect  those  who  are  upon  the  Sea."  But,  mistrustful 
that  King  Ptolemseus  would  scarcely  be  satisfied  with  an 
inscription  in  which  he  was  wholly  ignored,  he  covered  it 
with  a  light  coat  of  cement,  which  he  knew  would  not 
long  endure  the  action  of  the  atmosphere,  and  carved 
thereon  the  name  of  PtolemaBus.  After  a  few  years  the 
cement  and  the  name  of  the  king  disappeared,  and  revealed 
the  inscription  which  gave  all  the  glory  to  Sostrates. 

Montfaucon,  with  genial  credulity,  adopts  this  anecdote 
as  authentic,  and  adds :  Pliny  pretends  that  Ptolema3us, 
out  of  the  modesty  and  greatness  of  his  soul,  desired  the 
architect's  name  to  be  engraved  upon  the  tower,  and  no 
reference  to  himself  to  be  made.  But  this  statement  is 
very  dubious ;  it  would  have  passed  as  incredible  in  those 
times,  and  even  to-day  would  be  regarded  as  an  ill-under- 
stood act  of  magnanimity.  We  have  never  heard  of  any 
prince  prohibiting  the  perpetuation  of  his  name  upon 
magnificent  works  designed  for  the  public  utility,  or  being 
content  that  the  architect  should  usurp  the  entire  honour. 

To  solve  the  difficulty,  Champollion  represents  the 
pharos  as  constructed  by  Ptolemasus  Soter.  But,  as  Edrisi 
solemnly  remarks,  "  God  alone  knows  what  is  the  truth." 

Much  etymological  erudition  has  been  expended  on  the 
derivation  of  the  word  Pharos.  As  far  as  the  Alexandrian 
light-tower  is  concerned,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  it 
was  named  from  the  islet  on  which  it  stood ;  yet  Isidore 


THE  WORD  "PHAROS."  19 

asserts  that  the  word  came  from  <£oJs,  "  light,"  and  opav, 
"  to  see."  To  quote  again  from  Montfaucon  :  That  nume- 
rous persons,  who  have  not  read  the  Greek  authors,  should 
exercise  their  ingenuity  to  no  avail  in  the  extraction  of 
these  etymologies,  is  far  less  surprising  than  that  so  good 
a  scholar  as  Isaac  Vossius  should  seek  the  origin  of  Pharos 
in  the  Greek  language.  From  (/xu'vew,  "  to  shine,"  he  says, 
comes  (fravepos,  and  from  ^ai/epos,  <£apos.  .  .  .  But  the  island 
was  called  Pharos  seven  or  eight  hundred  years  before  it 
possessed  either  tower  or  beacon-light. 

The  most  reasonable  conjecture  seems  to  be  that  the 
word  is  a  Hellenic  form  of  Phrah,  the  Egyptian  name  of 
the  sun,  to  whom  the  Alexandrian  lighthouse  would 
naturally  be  compared  by  wondering  spectators,  or  dedi- 
cated by  a  devout  prince. 

At  a  later  date  we  find  the  word  applied  to  very  different 
objects,  though  always  retaining  the  signification  of  light 
or  brilliancy.  A  pharos  of  fire — i.e.,  a  ball  or  meteor — 
was  seen,  says  Gregory  of  Tours,  to  issue  from  the  church 
of  St.  Hilaire,  and  descend  upon  King  Clovis.  The  same 
historian  uses  the  word  to  describe  a  conflagration  : — "  They 
(the  barbarians)  set  fire  to  the  church  of  St.  Hilaire,  kindled 
a  great  pharos,  and  while  the  church  was  burning,  pillaged 
the  monastery."  The  old  French  historian  frequently 
employs  the  word  in  this  sense,  which  leads  us  to  suppose 
that  in  his  time  an  incendiary  was  probably  designated  "  a 
maker  of  pharoses"  (unfaiseurde  phares).  Still  later,  the 
term  pharos  was  applied  to  certain  machines  in  which  a 
number  of  lamps  or  tapers  were  placed,  as  in  a  candelabrum. 
A  modern  French  writer  quotes  from  Anastasius  the 
Librarian,  that  Pope  Sylvester  caused  "  a  pharos  of  pure 


20  THE  ALEXANDRIAN  WONDER. 

gold  •'  to  be  constructed ;  and  that  Pope  Adrian  I.  made 
one,  "  in  the  form  of  a  cross,"  capable  of  receiving  one 
hundred  and  seventy  candles  or  tapers.  And  Leon  of 
Ostia,  in  his  "  Chronicle  of  Monte  Cassino,"  says,  that  the 
Abbot  Didier  had  a  pharos,  or  great  silver  crown,  weigh- 
ing one  hundred  pounds,  constructed,  which  was  sur- 
mounted by  twelve  little  turrets,  and  from  which  were 
suspended  six  and  thirty  lamps. 

"We  may  add  that  the  poets  have  employed  the  word 
"  pharos "  in  a  still  more  metaphorical  sense,  to  signify 
an  object  which  instructs  while  it  illuminates,  or  those 
remarkable  individuals  whose  genius  becomes  for  all  time 
the  light  of  the  world,  and  a  beacon  to  posterity.  Says 
the  French  poet  Ronsard  to  Charles  IX.  :— 

Soyez  mon  phare,  et  gardez  d'abymer, 
Ma  nef  qui  nage  en  si  profonde  mer." 

My  guide,  my  pharos  be,  and  save  from  wreck 
My  boat,  which  labours  in  so  deep  a  sea. 

But  from  this  digression  we  return  to  the  Alexandrian 
Wonder. 

The  long  narrow  island  of  Pharos  lay  in  front  of  the 
city  of  Alexandria,  sheltering  both  its  harbours  —  the 
Greater  Harbour  and  the  Haven  of  Happy  Return  (Ewooros) 
— from  the  fury  of  the  north  wind  and  the  occasional 
high  tides  of  the  Mediterranean. 

It  was  a  strip  of  white  and  dazzling  calcareous  rock, 
about  a  mile  from  Alexandria,  and  150  stadia  from  the 
Canobic  mouth  of  the  river  Nile.  Its  northern  coast  was 
fringed  with  small  islets,  which,  in  the  fourth  and  fifth 
centuries,  became  the  resort  of  Christian  anchorites.  A 
deep  bay  on  the  northern  side  was  called  the  "  Pirates' 


A  NOBLE  EDIFICE.  21 

Haven,"  because,  in  early  times,  it  had  been  a  place  of 
refuge  for  the  Carian  and  Samian  rovers.  An  artificial 
mound,  or  causeway,  connected  the  island  with  the  main- 
land. From  its  extent  (seven  stadia,  4270  English  feet, 
or  three-quarters  of  a  mile),  it  was  called  the  Heptastadium. 
In  its  whole  length  two  breaks  occurred,  to  permit  of  the 
passage  of  the  water,  and  these  breaks  were  crossed  by 
drawbridges.  At  the  insular  end  stood  a  temple  to 
Hephaestus,  and  at  the  other  the  great  Gate  of  the  Moon. 
The  famous  lighthouse  stood  on  a  kind  of  peninsular 
rock  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  island ;  and  as  it  was  built 
of  white  stone,  and  rose  to  a  great  height,  it  was  scarcely 
a  less  conspicuous  object  from  the  city  than  from  the 
neighbouring  waters. 

Some  remarkable  discrepancies  occur  in  the  accounts  of 
this  noble  edifice,  which  have  been  handed  down  to  us,  but 
after  all  allowance  has  been  made  for  error  and  exaggera- 
tion, it  remains  obvious  that  the  wondering  admiration 
bestowed  upon  it  by  the  ancients  was  not  unjustified. 
The  statements  of  the  distance  at  which  its  light  could  be 
seen  are,  however,  most  undeniably  fictitious.  That  of 
Josephus,  who  compares  it  to  the  second  of  Herod's  three 
towers  at  Jerusalem — called  Phasael,  in  honour  of  his 
brother — is  the  least  incredible  ;  yet  even  he  asserts  that 
the  fire  which  burned  on  its  summit  was  visible  thirty-four 
English  miles  at  sea !  Such  a  range  for  a  lighthouse  on 
the  low  shores  of  Egypt  would  require,  says  Mr.  Alan 
Stevenson,  a  tower  about  550  feet  in  height. 

Pliny  affirms  that  its  erection  cost  a  sum  of  money  equal, 
at  the  present  value,  to  about  £390,000,  and  if  this  were 
true,  we  might  not  dispute  some  of  the  assertions  of 


22  EDRISI'S  DESCRIPTION-. 

ancient  writers  in  reference  to  its  elevation  and  solidity. 
But  the  fact  that  it  has  entirely  disappeared  seems  to  dis- 
prove the  dimensions  they  have  assigned  to  it.  We  are 
wholly  unable  to  decide  whether  the  help  it  afforded  to 
mariners  was  from  a  common  fire  or  from  a  more  complete 
system  of  illumination.  The  poet  Lucan,  in  his  "  Phar- 
salia,"  asserts  that  it  indicated  to  Julius  Csesar  his  ap- 
proach to  Egypt  on  the  seventh  night  after  he  sailed  from 
Troy ;  and  he  makes  use  of  the  significant  expression 
"  lampada,"  which  could  hardly  be  applied,  even  poetically, 
to  an  open  fire.  Pliny  expresses  a  fear  lest  its  light,  which, 
seen  at  a  distance,  had  the  appearance  of  flames,  should, 
from  its  steadiness,  be  mistaken  for  a  star  (•'  periculum  in 
continuatione  ignium,  ne  sidus  existimetur,  quoniam  e 
longinquo  similis  flammarum  aspectus  est"*);  but  as- 
suredly he  would  not  have  spoken  in  such  terms  of  the 
wavering,  irregular,  and  fitful  light  of  an  ordinary  fire. 
We  conclude,  therefore,  that  its  lighting  apparatus  was 
more  complete  than  has  generally  been  supposed. 

When  was  this  great  monument  destroyed  ? 

The  most  probable  supposition  seems  to  be  that  it  fell 
into  decay  in  the  thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  and 
that  its  ruin  was  hastened  or  completed  by  the  iconoclastic 
and  barbarian  hands  of  the  Turkish  conquerors  of  Egypt. 
That  it  existed  in  the  twelfth  century,  we  know  from  the 
graphic  description  of  Edrisi ;  a  description  which  will 
enable  the  reader  to  reproduce  it  before  his  "  mind's  eye  " 
in  all  its  pristine  glory  : — 

"This  pharos,"  he  says,  "  has  not  its  like  in  the  world 
for  skill  of  construction  or  for  solidity;  since,  to  say 

*  Pliny,  "  Hist.  Nat.,"  xxxvi.  18. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  PHAROS.  25 

nothing  of  the  fact  that  it  is  built  of  excellent  stone  of  the 
kind  called  Jcedan,  the  layers  of  these  stones  are  united  by 
molten  lead,  and  the  joints  are  so  adherent  that  the  whole 
is  indissoluble,  though  the  waves  of  the  sea  from  the  north 
incessantly  beat  against  it.  From  the  ground  to  the 
middle  gallery  or  stage  the  measurement  is  exactly  seventy 
fathoms,  and  from  this  gallery  to  the  summit,  twenty- 
six.* 

"  We  ascend  to  the  summit  by  a  staircase  constructed 
in  the  interior,  which  is  as  broad  as  those  ordinarily  erected 
in  towers.  This  staircase  terminates  at  about  half-way, 
and  thence  the  building  becomes  much  narrower.  In  the 
interior,  and  under  the  staircase,  some  chambers  have  been 
built.  Starting  from  the  gallery,  the  pharos  rises  to  its 
summit  with  a  continually  increasing  contraction,  until  at 
last  it  may  be  folded  round  by  a  man's  arms.  From  this 
same  gallery  we  recommence  our  ascent  by  a  flight  of  steps 
of  much  narrower  dimensions  than  the  lower  staircase :  in 
every  part  it  is  pierced  with  windows  to  give  light  to  per- 
sons making  use  of  it,  and  to  assist  them  in  gaining  a 
proper  footing  as  they  ascend. 

"  This  edifice,"  adds  Edrisi,  "is  singularly  remarkable, 
as  much  on  account  of  its  height  as  of  its  massiveness ;  it 
is  of  exceeding  utility,  because  its  fire  burns  night  and 
day  for  the  guidance  of  navigators :  they  are  well  acquainted 
with  the  fire,  and  steer  their  course  in  consequence,  for  it 
is  visible  at  the  distance  of  a  day's  sail  (!).  During  the 
night  it  shines  like  a  star ;  by  day  you  may  distinguish, 
its  smoke." 

*  These  measurements  amount  to  576  feet ;  but  we  fear  the  Arabian  writer 
was  incorrect  in  his  calculations. 


26  ANCIENT  FABLES. 

This  latter  passage  shows  that  if  any  better  mode  of 
illumination  had  once  been  in  use,  as  we  are  inclined  to 
believe,  it  had  been  discontinued,  or  its  secret  forgotten, 
by  the  degenerate  successors  of  the  Alexandrian  Greeks. 

Edrisi  remarks,  in  language  resembling  Pliny's,  that 
from  a  distance  the  light  of  the  pharos  was  so  like  a  star 
which  had  risen  upon  the  horizon,  that  the  mariners,  mis- 
taking it,  directed  their  prows  towards  the  other  coast, 
and  were  often  wrecked  upon  the  sands  of  Marmorica. 

Montfaucon  also  records  this  unfortunate  peculiarity, 
which,  however,  is  not  unknown  in  our  own  days.  More 
than  one  of  the  lighthouses  intended  to  warn  the  seaman 
as  he  approaches  a  dangerous  rock  or  headland  now  carries 
a  couple  of  lights :  one  at  the  summit,  and  one  below ; 
that  the  upper  may  not  be  mistaken  for  a  star.  * 

In  reference  to  the  Alexandrian  pharos,  Montfaucon  re- 
marks that  the  stories  related  by  the  Arabs  and  European 
travellers  must  be  very  cautiously  examined.  For  instance  : 
we  are  told  that  Sostrates  rested  its  foundations  on  four 
huge  crab-fish  made  of  glass  (grands  cancres  de  verre') ;  a 
fable  so  gross,  says  one  Benedictine,  that  it  is  not  worth 
the  trouble  of  refuting  it,  though  Isaac  Vossius  declares  it 
to  be  recorded  in  an  ancient  manuscript  which  he  himself 


Nor,  continues  Montfaucon,  are  we  more  disposed  to 
credit  the  story  told  by  Martinus  Crusius,  in  his  Turco- 
£rrcecice,  book  viii. — on  the  authority  of  the  Arabs — that 
Alexander  the  Great  fixed  on  the  summit  of  the  tower  a 
mirror  so  skilfully  made  that  it  revealed  the  approach  of 

*  Renard,  "  Les  Pliares,"  p.  16. 


FACT  VERSUS  FICTION. 


29 


hostile  fleets  at  a  distance  of  one  hundred  leagues,  and  that 
after  the  Macedonian  hero's  death  it  was  broken  by  a 
Greek,  named  Sodores,  while  the  guardians  of  the  light- 
house slept.  But,  unfortunately  for  this  romantic  fiction, 
the  pharos  was  not  built  until  after  the  time  of  Alexander 
the  Great. 


passuum. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  "  TOUR  D'ORDRE  "  OF  BOULOGNE. 

jOULOG-NE  is  the  ancient  Bononia  or  Geso- 
riacum,  "  a  naval  place,"  says  Ptolemseus,  "  of 
the  Morini,"  and  distant  from  the  British 
coast,  according  to  Pliny,  about  fifty  millia 
Pliny  probably  measured  from  Boulogne  to 
Rutupice  (or  Richborough),  where  the  Romans  had  a  forti- 
fied port,  and  which  was  their  usual  landing-place  from 
Gallia.  His  measurement,  however,  exaggerates  the 
actual  distance  between  these  places. 

It  was  from  Boulogne  the  Emperor  Claudius  embarked 
on  his  expedition  to  Britain ;  and  it  was  at  Boulogne  the 
Emperor  Caligula  bade  his  soldiers  collect  the  shells  as 
spoils  of  ocean,  and  decreed  himself  a  triumph  for  victories 
he  had  only  won  in  imagination.  As  a  more  durable 
monument  of  his  achievements,  he  erected,  according  to 
Suetonius,  a  lofty  tower;  the  extraordinary  structure 
which,  under  the  name  of  the  Tour  d'Ordre,  for  centuries 
extorted  the  admiration  of  men. 

Built  as  a  memorial  of  imperial  vain-gloriousness,  when 
was  it  first  converted  into  a  work  of  public  utility  ?  When 


THE  TOUR  D'ORDRE.  31 

did  the  triumphal  tower  become  a  lighthouse?  To  these 
questions  we  can  offer  no  authoritative  reply.  But  it 
seems  probable  that  in  A. D.  191  a  light  was  blazing  from  its 
summit ;  for  a  bronze  medal  of  Commodus  —  on  which 
lie  is  entitled  Britannicus,  in  memory  of  his  lieutenant's 
victories  over  the  Britons — represents  the  pharos  and  its 
fire,  and  the  departure  of  a  Roman  fleet. 

Planted  at  the  usual  point  of  embarkation  for  Britain, 
the  tower  of  Boulogne  was  carefully  preserved  so  long  as 
the  Roman  sway  endured.  In  811  it  was  repaired, 
according  to  Eginhard,  by  the  great  Western  emperor, 
Charles,  who  was  then  preparing  an  expedition  against  the 
Norman  pirates.  As  late  as  the  seventeenth  century  it 
seems  to  have  been  employed  as  a  lighthouse  ;  and  thence, 
according  to  a  popular  but  certainly  erroneous  etymology, 
its  ancient  name  of  Turris  ardens  became,  by  corruption, 
Tour  d'Ordre.  It  also  served  as  a  fortress,  for  which  it 
was  well  adapted  by  its  admirable  position  and  extra- 
ordinary massiveness. 

In  the  sixteenth  century,  while  Boulogne  was  occupied 
by  an  English  garrison — that  is,  from  1554  to  1559 — 
the  Tour  d'Ordre  was  enclosed  by  two  ramparts,  one  of 
brick,  the  other  of  earth,  and  both  furnished  with  artillery. 
This  point  was  felicitously  chosen  for  the  attack  or  defence 
of  Boulogne,  inasmuch  as  it  dominated  over  the  whole  town, 
and  commanded  both  banks  of  the  Liane.  Yet  the  Tour 
d'Ordre  suffered  little  from  the  ravages  of  war,  except  that 
its  lantern  was  several  times  destroyed ;  and  its  ruin  is 
wholly  due  to  the  neglect  of  successive  magistrates  of 
Boulogne.  Shaken  at  first  by  the  waves,  which  in  high 
tides  dashed  furiously  against  the  cliff — then  by  the 

.202)  3 


32  A  TRIBUTE  Ob'  HERRINGS. 

subterranean  action  of  springs  and  watercourses — and, 
finally,  by  the  imprudent  excavation  of  the  adjoining 
quarries,  both  the  fort  and  the  tower  fell  down — twice, 
according  to  some  authorities — thrice,  according  to  others 
— between  1640  and  1645 — along  with  the  portion  of  the 
cliff  on  which  they  were  erected. 

In  the  interval  between  these  sad  events,  says  Egger, 
nothing  was  attempted  in  preservation  of  the  remains  of 
our  precious  monument,  which,  however,  in  its  ruined 
condition,  still  served  as  a  night-beacon  for  ships  entering 
the  port.  When  at  length  it  perished  utterly,  the  muni- 
cipality of  Boulogne  considered  themselves  released  from 
the  dues  which,  for  this  portion  of  their  territory,  they 
had  paid,  in  virtue  of  an  ancient  right,  to  the  Seigneur  de 
Bainethun.  As  the  soil  no  longer  existed,  the  tenants 
thought  themselves  freed  from  all  obligations  towards  its 
proprietor.  The  latter  resorted  to  legal  proceedings,  and 
judgment  was  given  in  his  favour,  July  the  1st,  1656. 
Inasmuch  as  the  wise  men  of  Boulogne  had  by  their  own 
negligence  caused  the  loss  which  they  put  forward  as  an 
excuse  for  denying  their  debt,  they  were  condemned  to 
pay,  as  before,  two  thousand  herrings,  fresh  and  dry,  to  be 
delivered  at  Arras,  Amiens,  and  other  towns,  according  to 
the  seigneur's  pleasure — or  to  restore  the  ground  to  its 
ancient  condition,  and  abandon  to  the  Seigneur  de  Baine- 
thun the  toll  which  they  levy  from  all  fishermen  entering 
the  harbour.  And  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  this 
tribute  of  two  thousand  herrings  was  paid  by  the  corpora- 
tion of  Boulogne  down  to  the  epoch  of  the  French  Revo- 
lution. 


ri 

|g 

^   7* 

2  o 

$      C* 
?S      ~ 


California 


SOME  STA  T  1ST  1C  A  L  DE  TA ILS.  35 

There  are  little,  if  any,  remains  now  extant  of  this 
ancient  monument,  more  glorious  from  the  services  which 
for  generations  it  rendered  to  humanity  than  from  its 
origin,  which  only  recalled  the  extravagance  and  insane 
ostentation  of  Caligula ;  and  M.  Egger  advises  us  to  be 
cautious  how  we  place  our  confidence  in  the  representa- 
tions which  have  been  given  of  it.  The  most  trustworthy 
seems  to  be  the  drawing  executed  by  Claude  Chatillon, 
engineer  to  Henry  IV.,  which  we  here  reproduce. 

The  descriptions  which  are  on  record,  says  M.  Renard, 
are  equally  unsatisfactory.  Still  we  can  pick  out  of  their 
rhodomontade  some  few  valuable  and  accurate  particulars 
of  its  situation,  dimensions,  and  form,  and  of  the  materials 
employed  in  its  construction.  These  were  simply  gray 
and  yellow  stones,  and  red  bricks,  so  arranged  as  to  com- 
pose an  edifice  of  great  solidity  and  yet  of  attractive  ap- 
pearance. The  tower  was  situated  some  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  from  the  brink  of  the  cliff ;  it  was  octagonal ; 
192  feet  in  circumference,  and  about  64  feet  in  diameter: 
as  with  most  of  the  Roman  pharoses,  each  of  its  twelve 
stories  was  a  foot  and  a  half  narrower  than  the  story  im- 
mediately below  it,  so  that  it  assumed,  on  the  whole,  a 
pyramidal  shape.  We  are  told  that  its  height  was  about 
equal  to  its  circumference,  or,  in  round  numbers,  200  feet 
— which  seems,  as  Egger  remarks,  an  extraordinary  ele- 
vation for  a  lighthouse,  already  situated  on  a  cliff  100  feet 
above  the  sea-level.  According  to  M.  J.  F.  Henry,  its 
height  was  about  124  feet.  However  this  may  be,  each 
story  had  on  the  south  side  an  opening  like  a  gate.  As  late 
as  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century  there  might  still 
be  seen  three  vaulted  chambers,  one  above  the  other,  con- 


26  (XV  CHERISHING  THE  PAST. 

nected  by  an  inner  flight  of  stairs,  and  probably  intended 
for  the  lodging  of  the  keepers. 

As  for  the  place  where  the  fire  or  light  was  kindled,  we 
are  entirely  left  to  conjecture ;  but  from  the  fact  that  the 
chroniclers  of  the  ninth  century  assert  that  the  summit 
was  repaired  with  a  view  to  prepare  it  for  the  signal-fires, 
there  seems  reason  to  believe  that  before  this  restoration 
they  were  kindled  in  a  chamber  on  the  uppermost  story. 

M.  Egger  puts  forward  the  supposition  that  carefully 
directed  excavations  might  lead  to  the  discovery  of  im- 
portant remains.  And  looking  to  the  arguments  by  which 
he  supports  his  hypothesis,  we  are  disposed  to  accept  it  as 
very  plausible.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  France  possesses  no 
archaeological  associations  to  undertake  the  superintendence 
and  prosecute  the  study  of  her  memorials  of  antiquity. 
With  all  her  passion  for  national  aggrandizement,  she  proves 
herself  strangely  neglectful  of  her  past,  and  the  educated 
classes  of  France  exhibit  little  of  that  interest  in  archaeo- 
logical and  antiquarian  pursuits  which  is  shown  by  the 
scholars  and  gentry  of  England.  Yet  on  every  ground  it 
is  desirable  that  a  nation's  past  should  never  be  divorced 
from  its  present;  that  the  continuity  of  national  life 
should,  as  far  as  possible,  be  preserved  unbroken  ;  and 
much  may  be  done  for  the  furtherance  of  so  desirable  an 
object  by  a  due  regard  to  the  monuments  erected  by  our 
forefathers. 

The  Commission  des  Phares  has  raised,  however,  in  the 
place  of  the  Tour  d'Ordre,  a  worthy  substitute.  In  1835 
it  established  at  Boulogne  a  red  light,  fixed,  and  two  other 
fixed  lights,  the  first  of  which  shed  its  radiance  for  four, 


THE  FRENCH  COAST. 


37 


and  the  second  and  third  for  nine  miles ;  ample  illumina- 
tion this  for  a  portion  of  the  French  coast  which  is  already 
lighted,  at  Cape  Grisnez,  by  a  powerful  apparatus,  whose 
lustre  extends  as  far  as  twenty-two  miles,  and  at  Pointe 
d'Alpreck,  by  a  lighthouse  visible  for  twelve  miles. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE     TOWER     AT     DOVER. 

jjHE  summit  of  the  lofty  down  at  Dover,  now 
crowned  by  the  famous  castle,  with  its  Norman 
keep  and  towers,  was  used  as  a  military  post 
from  a  very  remote  antiquity.  There  can  be 
little  doubt  that  the  Britons  here  kept  watch  and  ward  : 
that  it  was  the  site  of  a  Roman  stronghold,  we  know  from 
indisputable  evidence.  A  circular  entrenchment  of  Roman 
work  is  still  extant,  and  so  too  are  the  remains  of  the 
Roman  lighthouse,  whose  steady  blaze  lighted  the  imperial 
galleys  as  they  hovered  about  the  port,  or  guided  the 
British  oyster-boats  returning  from  their  market  at 
Boulogne. 

With  the  history  of  the  stronghold,  however,  we  have 
nothing  to  do.  It  is  the  pharos  which  attracts  our  steps, 
and  induces  us  to  ascend  the  steep  acclivity.  A  recent 
antiquary  is  of  opinion  that  there  were  two  lights ;  one  on 
the  eastern,  and  the  other  on  the  western  edge  of  the  hill. 
The  ruins  of  the  latter  are  so  shapeless  and  indistinct  that 
no  description  of  them  could  interest  the  reader,  or  enable 
him  to  picture  to  his  "  mind's  eye  "  the  form  and  structure 


THE  PHAROS  OF  DOVER. 


39 


of  the  ancient  edifice.     Of  the  former  enough  remains  to 
assist  our  imagination  very  materially. 


THE   TOWER   AT   DOVER. 


It  is  still,  says  Mr.  Puckle,*  a  massive  shell :  the  inner 
face  of  its  walls  vertical  and  squared,  the  outside  with  a 
tendency  to  a  conical  form,  which  was  probably  at  one 
time  much  more  distinct,  allowing  for  the  quantities  of 
external  masonry  and  facing  which*  by  degrees .  must  have 
fallen  or  been  hewn  away.  The  basement  only  is  of 
Roman  work  ;  the  octagon  chamber  above  having  been 

*  Rev.  J.  Puckle,  "  Church  and  Fortress  of  Dover  Castle"  (ed.  1864). 


40  ITS  RUINS  DESCRIBED. 

added  in  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  The  dimensions  are 
about  fourteen  feet  square. 

The  following  description  we  borrow  from  Mr.  Puckle's 
learned  monogram : — 

Except  fragments  here  and  there,  he  says,  such  as  might 
have  been  picked  up  along  the  shore,  the  materials  used  in 
the  pharos  are  few  and  uniform  throughout ;  each  having  its 
own  peculiar  character,  quite  distinct  from  any  supposed 
similar  materials  of  subsequent  date. 

"1.  Tufa:  A  substance  freely  used  by  the  Romans 
wherever  obtainable,  and  always  considered  to  mark  their 
work  as  certainly  as  if  dated  and  recorded  in  some  his- 
torical document.  Quantities  of  it  may  still  be  dug  in 
parts  of  the  valley  of  Dover,  by  the  river.  It  was  squared 
up,  and  used  in  tolerably  regular  courses  of  blocks ;  those 
inside  showing  a  fair  and  even  facing,  hard,  and  little 
friable  either  by  age  or  weather. 

"2.  The  concrete,  or  mortar  :  This  is  of  two  kinds, 
found  at  two  levels  of  the  lower  mass  of  the  tower.  A 
small  portion  has  been  laid  in  a  pale,  tawny-coloured 
mortar,  mixed  in  the  proportion  of  four  parts  of  sharp 
grit  to  one  of  lime.  The  greater  part,  however,  has  been 
carried  up  with  the  pink  or  salmon-coloured  mortar, 
peculiar  to  Roman  work,  and  mixed  in  the  proportion  of 
one  part  of  lime  to  four  of  more  or  less  finely-pounded 
Roman  brick.  It  is  nothing  like  so  hard  as  the  concrete 
found  (for  instance)  lining  the  Roman  baths  discovered 
under  the  west  end  of  the  nave  of  St.  Mary's  parish- 
church  ;  but  it  is  too  peculiar  a  material  not  to  be  recog- 
nized wherever  it  appears,  identifying  its  Roman  make. 

"  3.  Tlie  red  tile-brick  :  This,  again,  is  always  esteemed 


ROMAN  BRICK-MAKING.  41 

a  very  distinctive  element  in  materials  of  Roman  building; 
but  it  requires  some  attention  to  distinguish  justly  between 
the  genuine  Roman  production  and  subsequent  imitations 
of  the  same  thing.  Without  digressing  into  the  habits 
of  a  Roman  brick-yard,  it  may  suffice  just  to  refer  to  what 
is  described  in  well-known  ancient  authorities,  as  the  care- 
ful process  observed  in  the  making  of  Roman  tile-brick. 
A  very  pure  and  smooth  clay  was  selected,  and  so  treated  as 
to  expel  as  much  as  possible  all  gritty  and  non-homogeneous 
ingredients.  Reduced  to  something  like  the  fineness  and 
consistency  of  dough,  it  underwent  a  treatment  not  very 
different  from  that  of  the  dough  itself;  being  laboriously 
wrought  and  tempered  by  hand  or  otherwise,  like  bread 
being  kneaded  in  its  trough  ;  it  was  then  shaped  off  in 
flat  blocks  of  the  various  sizes  employed.  The  sizes  vary 
considerably  as  found  in  different  places ;  but  those  com- 
monly seen  along  the  Kentish  coast  in  bonding-courses,  or 
the  construction  of  arches,  are  something  over  a  foot 
square,  by  about  two  inches  in  thickness.  They  are  gene- 
rally more  or  less  deeply  scored  on  the  under  face,  either 
in  a  rude  pattern,  or  simply  with  straight  or  wavy  lines, 
making  their  hold  on  hard  mortar  very  tenacious  ;  though 
these  are  not  unfailing  marks  of  Roman  brick." 

Such  are  the  materials  of  which  the  Roman  pharos  was 
constructed ;  materials  identical  with  those  which  compose 
the  Tour  d'Ordre  at  Boulogne.  When  it  was  first  dis- 
used as  a  lighthouse,  it  is  impossible,  to  say ;  but  as  its 
elevation  must  have  constantly  enveloped  it  in  mists,  and 
rendered  its  fires  useless,  we  should  opine  that  it  was  not 
employed  after  the  Conquest.  In  course  of  time  it  was 
devoted  to  military  purposes,  its  lower  chamber  being  con- 


42  LIGHTS  IN  THE  DOVER  STRAITS. 

verted  into  a  guard -room ;  and  of  late  years  it  has  been 
appropriated  as  a  government  store-house.  Lights  are 
now  established  on  the  piers  of  Dover  Harbour,  and  with 
those  of  the  South  Foreland  on  the  English  coast,  and  of 
Cape  G-risnez  and  Boulogne  on  the  French  coast,  amply 
suffice  for  the  due  illumination  of  the  Straits. 

It  is  much  to  be  desired  that  every  care  should  be 
taken  for  the  preservation  from  further  injury  of  so  inter- 
esting a  relic  of  Roman  times  as  the  pharos  at  Dover. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    COLOSSUS    OF    RHODES. 

HEN  receive  with  indifference  from  one  another, 
and  without  examination,  the  traditions  of 
past  events,  even  of  events  connected  with 
the  history  of  their  own  country.  Thus,  for 
the  most  part,  in  their  indolence  to  search  out  the  truth, 
they  accept  at  once  all  the  fables  and  exaggerations  forced 
upon  their  notice/' 

It  is  thus  that  Thucydides  expresses  himself;  and  though 
his  observation  is  two  thousand  years  old,  it  has  lost 
nothing  of  its  point  or  truth. 

A  striking  example  of  its  applicability  is  afforded  by  the 
striking  illustration  now  before  us ; — a  representation  of  the 
Colossus  of  Rhodes,  according  to  the  generally  received 
idea  that  this  celebrated  statue  of  Apollo  was  planted  at 
the  entrance  to  the  harbour  of  Rhodes,  where  it  served  as 
a  pharos ;  and  that  it  was  oFsuchsurpassing  magnitude 
that  ships  under  full  sail  could  pass  between  its  gigantic 
limbs. 

But  there  is  no  evidence  that  the  Colossus  ever  served  as 
a  pharos ;  at  least,  no  ancient  author  asserts  that  such  was 


44  THE  RHODIAN  APOLLO. 

its  employment.  The  first  writer  who  converted  it  into  a 
beacon-light  was  Urbain  Chevreau,  an  industrious  but  not 
particularly  able  compiler  of  the  seventeenth  century  ;  but 
he  neglects  to  say  from  what  source  he  obtained  his  in- 
formation. 

In  the  second  place,  the  attitude  traditionally  ascribed 
to  the  Rhodian  Colossus — an  attitude  neither  graceful  nor 
dignified — is  also  a  pure  conceit  of  comparatively  modern 
times.  It  is,  however,  more  ancient  than  the  former-,  since 
it  dates  from  the  sixteenth  century,  when  Blaise  de 
Vigen£re,  the  translator  of  Philostratus,  transformed  the 
masterpiece  of  Chares,  the  pupil  of  Lysippus,  into  a  fan- 
tastic impossibility.  Where  he,  too,  obtained  his  infor- 
mation, no  one  can  ascertain ;  for  on  this  important  point 
he  preserved  the  prudent  silence  of  Chevreau. 

In  an  interesting  paper,  published  by  the  French 
Academie  des  Inscriptions,  the  Comte  de  Caylus  proves — 
1st,  That  the  Rhodian  Apollo  was  not  constructed  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour;  and  2nd,  That  no  ships  ever 
passed  between  its  legs.  He  did  not  satisfy  everybody, 
however,  and  reference  was  made  to  the  pages  of  the 
geographer  Strabo.  It  was  found  that  he  made  no  men- 
tion of  the  remarkable  circumstance  narrated  by  Vigenere. 
He  cites  a  fragment  of  an  epigram  in  iambic  metre,  in 
which  the  name  of  the  sculptor,  Chares  of  Lindos,  is  men- 
tioned, and  the  dimensions  of  his  work — namely,  seventy 
cubits — are  given.  Strabo  adds  that  the  Colossus,  in  his 
time,  lay  prostrate  on  the  ground — overthrown  by  an 
earthquake,  and  with  shattered  knees ;  and  that  the 
Rhodians  had  not  restored  it  to  its  position  because  for- 
bidden by  an  oracle. 


IMAGINARY    RESTORATION   OF   THE    COLOSSUS    OF   RHOPF.S. 


f  &* 


r>i   Oulil.t^ 


A    WONDER  OF  THE   WORLD.  47 

Turning  to  Pliny,  we  find  that  he  confirms  all  the 
statements  of  Strabo,  and  fixes  the  date  of  the  fall  of  the 
statue  at  fifty-six  years  after  its  erection.  Though  over- 
thrown, he  says,  it  is  still  a  marvel.  Few  men  can  em- 
brace its  thumb ;  its  fingers  are  larger  than  those  of 
statues.  Its  disfigured  limbs  appear  so  many  vast 
caverns ;  and  in  the  interior  the  enormous  stones  are  seen 
with  which  they  had  been  weighted.  It  cost,  says  Pliny, 
300  talents ;  being  exactly  the  sum  of  money  which  the 
Rhodians  plundered  from  the  war-ships  abandoned  be- 
fore their  city  by  Demetrius,  when  he  raised  the  siege, 
after  protracting  it  for  many  months. 

Philo  of  Byzantium,  a  mechanician  who  lived  about  the 
end  of  the  third  century  B.C.,  and  to  whom  is  attributed  a 
brief  treatise  on  the  "  Seven  Wonders  of  the  World/'  de- 
scribes at  some  length  the  Rhodian  Colossus,  but  makes 
no  allusion  to  its  supposed  straddling  attitude,  or  to  its 
employment  as  a  pharos.  The  same  silence  is  preserved 
by  another  historian  of  the  Seven  Wonders,  Lucius 
Ampellius.  But  as  he  possessed,  like  Chevreau  and 
Vigenere,  an  inventive  faculty,  this  author  says :  "At 
Rhodes  is  the  colossal  statue  of  the  Sun,  placed  on  a 
marble  column,  with  a  chariot  drawn  by  four  horses." 

Putting  aside  the  embellishments  of  tradition,  let  us 
inquire  what  this  monument  really  was : — 

The  brazen  statue  of  Helios,  popularly  called  the 
Colossus,  was  seventy  cubits  in  height;  its  gigantic  size 
may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  few  could  compass  one 
of  its  thumbs  with  their  arms.*  Fifty-six  years  after  jts 
erection  it  was  overthrown  by  an  earthq 

*  Strabo,  xiv.,  p.  364 ;  Pliny,  xxxiv.  18. 

(262)  4 


48  THE  SCULPTOR'S  FATE. 

224),  and  as  already  related,  the  Rhodians  would  not 
attempt  its  restoration,  though  Ptolemseus  offered  them  a 
contribution  of  3000  talents,  because  prohibited  by  an 
oracle.  And  yet  later  authorities  describe  it  as  standing 
erect ;  and  the  Emperor  Commodus.  among  his  other  ex- 
travagances, ordered  his  bust  to  be  set  upon  its  summit. 

In  672  Rhodes  was  captured  by  the  Saracens,  and  their 
leader,  one  of  the  lieutenants  of  Othman,  sold  the  brass 
of  which  the  famous  statue  was  composed,  to  a  Jewish 
merchant  of  Edessa,  for  a  sum,  it  is  said,  of  £36,000.  The 
bargain  must  have  been  very  profitable,  if  it  be  true  that 
the  materials  thus  acquired  loaded  a  thousand  camels. 

A  few  words  may  be  added  in  reference  to  the  sculptor 
of  the  Colossus.  According  to  Pliny,  he  was  a  pupil  of 
Lysippus,  a  native  of  Lindos,  and  named  Chares.  Such, 
too,  is  the  evidence  of  Strabo  and  the  anonymous  author  of 
the  Greek  epigram.  But  in  the  writings  of  the  Pyrrhonist, 
Sextus  Empiricus,  we  find  the  honour  of  the  achievement 
ascribed  to  one  Laches.  According  to  Sextus,  Chares, 
discovering  that  he  was  cheated  of  half  the  sum  of  money 
promised  for  the  completion  of  the  statue,  killed  himself 
in  despair ;  and  Laches,  succeeding  him,  perfected  the 
glorious  work.  The  authority  of  Pliny  and  Strabo,  how- 
ever, seems  to  us  preferable  to  that  of  Sextus  :  the  Colossus 
was  truly  the  work  of  Chares,  alone  and  unaided,  and  to 
him  belongs  the  glory  of  having,  as  Philo  of  Byzantium 
says,  "  Made  a  god  like  to  a  god,  and  endowed  the  world 
with  a  second  sun." 


BOOK    II. 

THE  SCIENCE  OF  LIGHTHOUSES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HOW  THEY  ARE  ADMINISTERED. 

LOM  antiquity  we  return  to  our  own  time,  with 
the  view  of  examining  the  present  condition 
of  our  coast-defences,  so  far  as  they  include 
the    lighthouse,    the    lightship,   the   beacon, 
and  the  buoy. 

To  England  belongs  the  praise,  among  modern  nations, 
of  having  first  understood  all  the  importance  of  light- 
houses, and  of  having  made  their  erection,  mode  of  illumi- 
nation, and  maintenance,  a  matter  of  national  concern. 

The  direction  of  the  Imperial  lighthouses  is  confided 
to  three  Boards — one  for  each  of  the  three  kingdoms  : — 

1st,  The  Corporation  of  the  Trinity  House  of  Deptford 
Strand,  who  possess  the  control  of  all  the  English  light- 
houses ; — 

2nd,  The  Corporation  of  the  Commissioners  of  Northern 


50  THE  TRINITY  HOUSE. 

Lights,  to  whom  is  intrusted  the  management  of  the  light- 
houses of  Scotland  ;  and, — 

3rd,  The  Corporation  for  Preserving  and  Improving  the 
Port  of  Dublin,  who  administer  the  coast-illumination  of 
Ireland. 

The  history  of  the  TRINITY  HOUSE  is  but  imperfectly 
known,  owing  to  the  destruction  of  a  considerable  portion 
of  its  archives  by  fire  in  1714.  It  was  founded  by  a 
charter  of  Henry  VIII. — who  may  almost  be  called  the 
Father  of  English  Navigation — on  the  20th  of  March 
1512,  and  received  the  appellation  of  the  "  Brotherhood 
of  the  Trinity  House  of  Deptford  of  Strand  and  St. 
Clement."  This  document  opens  with  a  curious  declara- 
tion : — "  Out  of  the  sincere  and  complete  love  and  devo- 
tion which  we  have  for  the  very  glorious  and  indivisible 
Trinity,  and  also  for  Saint  Clement  the  Confessor,  His 
Majesty  grants  and  gives  license  for  the  establishment  of 
a  corporation,  or  perpetual  brotherhood,  to  certain  of  his 
subjects  and  their  associates,  men  or  women." 

At  the  outset,  the  duty  of  the  members  of  the  guild 
seems  simply  to  have  been  to  pray  for  the  souls  of  sailors 
drowned  at  sea,  and  for  the  lives  of  those  who  were 
battling  against  the  tempest.  After  a  while  their  func- 
tions increased  in  number,  and,  assuredly,  in  importance. 
The  charters  which  they  received  from  Elizabeth,  James  I., 
Charles  II.,  and  James  II.,  placed  in  their  hands  the 
general  control  of  the  mercantile  marine,  and  even,  under 
certain  conditions,  of  the  royal  fleet.  The  illumination  of 
dangerous  parts  of  the  English  coast  necessarily  became  a 
portion  of  their  mission  of  patriotic  beneficence.  But  the 


HISTORICAL  DETAILS.  51 

reader  must  not  suppose  that  no  lighthouses  burned  along 
our  shores  until  the  Trinity  House  was  established.  Rude 
signal-lights  and  beacon-fires  already  blazed  on  rocky 
headlands,  and  at  the  mouths  of  the  ports  most  frequented 
by  our  shipping;  but  a  greater  number  of  lighthouses 
became  necessary,  and  on  a  more  perfect  system  of  organi- 
zation, as  English  commerce  in  the  seventeenth  century 
assumed  its  extraordinary  development. 

But  this  was  not  all.  The  constructors  of  private  lights 
and  beacons  were  not  animated  by  a  pure  unadulterated 
zeal  for  the  public  welfare ;  they  levied  excessive  tolls  on 
the  vessels  which  profited  by  their  guiding  rays.  To 
erect  and  maintain  a  lighthouse  constituted  an  industry 
of  so  profitable  a  character  that  the  privileges  in  virtue  of 
which  they  existed,  and  which  were  nearly  all  found  in 
the  hands  of  the  Trinity  House,  excited  a  very  wide- 
spread feeling  of  jealousy  and  discontent.  The  legislation 
which  had  taken  place  on  this  subject  was  rigorously 
examined,  and  as  a  result  these  privileges  disappeared. 
This  important  discovery  was  made  in  the  reign  of  James  I. 
The  king  found  himself  specially  interested  in  making  it ; 
for,  by  its  return  to  the  crown,  the  monopoly  of  licensing 
the  erection  of  lighthouses  would  have  largely  increased 
his  private  income. 

The  pretensions  put  forward  by  James  I.  greatly  em- 
barrassed the  judges  charged  with  the  examination  of  the 
rights  of  the  Trinity  House ;  and  the  inquiry  might  have 
lasted  for  years  had  it  not  been  abruptly  concluded,  after 
our  English  fashion,  by  a  compromise.  It  was  decided 
that  the  fraternity  of  the  Trinity  House  should  be 


52  AN  INTOLERABLE  EXACTION. 

authorized  to  erect  lighthouses,  but  that  the  crown 
should  enjoy  the  same  privilege  in  virtue  of  the  common 
law.  From  this  decision  it  naturally  came  to  pass  that, 
instead  of  remaining,  as  Elizabeth  had  designed,  the 
exclusive  property  of  the  Trinity  House,  the  lease  and 
monopoly  of  the  fires  lighted  on  the  coasts  were  granted 
or  sold  by  the  sovereign  to  certain  private  individuals. 

As  a  result  of  this  decision,  says  M.  Esquiros,  in  his 
lively  manner,  there  was  not  a  bare  and  desolate  angle  of 
rock  in  the  kingdom  which  was  not  coveted  by  specula- 
tors as  a  site  for  a  tower  and  a  beacon-fire.  Lord  G-ren- 
ville,  an  able  statesman  and  shrewd  man  of  the  world, 
wrote  in  his  diary  in  the  form  of  a  note  or  memorandum  : 
"Mem.  To  watch  the  moment  when  the  King  is  in  a 
good  temper,  to  ask  of  him  a  lighthouse."  It  would  be 
difficult  to  estimate  the  amount  realized  by  those  persons 
whom  the  king  favoured  with  such  marks  of  his  good- 
will ;  but  from  the  luxurious  state  they  maintained  it  is 
evident  their  profits  must  have  been  immense. 

We  may  readily  conjecture  the  evil  results  of  such  a 
system.  Many  of  the  lights  were  deficient  in  power; 
others  were  never  kindled ;  yet  in  every  case  heavy  tolls 
were  exacted  from  passing  vessels.  At  length  the  scandal 
grew  intolerable,  and  in  the  reign  of  William  IV.  Parlia- 
^xient  interfered  to  establish  a  certain  uniformity  in  the 
administration  of  lighthouses,  and  to  provide  for  a  con- 
siderable reduction  of  the  dues.  All  the  interests  of  the 
Crown  were  made  over  to  the  Trinity  House,  which, 
moreover,  was  empowered  to  buy  up  the  lighthouses 
belonging  to  private  individuals ;  and  the  Corporation 


THE  ELDER  BRETHREN.  53 

having  always  acted  with  singular  zeal,  efficiency,  and 
public  spirit,  the  system  of  our  coast-defences  has  gradu- 
ally attained  to  a  remarkable  degree  of  completeness. 

A  word  or  two  may  now  be  said  on  the  interior  organi- 
zation of  the  Trinity  House.  It  includes  two  bodies  of 
associates  :  the  Elder,  and  the  Younger  Brothers.  At 
first  no  such  distinction  existed ;  but  the  pretext  put  for- 
ward to  justify  the  exclusion  of  the  Younger  Brethren 
from  sharing  in  the  conduct  of  the  Society  was,  that  they 
showed  too  much  fervour  at  its  meetings.  The  Younger 
Brethren,  now-a-days,  are  chosen  by  the  Council  on  the 
motion  of  one  of  the  Elder  Brethren.  Their  number  was 
formerly  unlimited.  It  cannot  be  too  large,  say  the 
ancient  charters,  because  our  seamen  represent  the  strength 
of  the  nation.  At  the  present  time  there  are  360. 

The  Elder  Brethren,  31  in  number,  are  chosen  from 
the  Younger.  No  one  can  offer  himself  as  a  candidate  if 
he  has  not  first  undergone  an  examination,  and  served  for 
at  least  four  years  as  captain  on  board  a  Queen's  ship  or  a 
merchant- vessel.  On  his  election  he  pays  £30  as  a  con- 
tribution to  the  poor-box,  and  an  equal  sum  for  a  compli- 
mentary dinner. 

The  Elder  Brethren,  however,  are  divided  into  honorary 
and  active  members.  From  a  very  early  period,  the 
Company  recognized  the  advantage  of  including  in  its 
ranks  the  most  illustrious  living  Englishmen,  even 
though  they  should  in  no  wise  be  concerned  with  naviga- 
tion. In  1673,  the  Bishop  of  Rochester,  having  preached 
before  the  Corporation  on  Trinity  Thursday,  was  admitted 
a  member.  For  seventeen  years  William  Pitt  occupied 


54  THEIR  ACTIVE  MEMBERS. 

the  honourable  position  of  Master,  which  was  afterwards 
filled  by  William  IV.,  when  Duke  of  Clarence.  Well- 
ington, Prince  Albert,  and  Lord  Palmerston,  formerly 
belonged  to  the  Corporation ;  and,  at  present,  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  the  Right  Hon.  W.  E.  Gladstone,  and  Earl 
Russell,  are  among  its  members,  while  the  Duke  of 
Edinburgh  officiates  as  Master.  These  honorary  members, 
limited  to  eleven,  do  not  engage  in  the  administrative 
duties  of  the  Trinity  House ;  but  they  add  to  its  dignity, 
and  serve  to  connect  it  with  the  highest  classes  of  Eng- 
lish society.  In  fact,  it  woulcl  be  difficult  to  name  an 
association  which  is  more  truly  national  in  character. 

The  twenty  active  members,  on  whom  the  real  burden 
of  the  work  of  the  Corporation  rests,  are  experienced 
captains  of  men-of-war  or  merchant -ships,  who  have 
retired  from  service.  They  are  formed  into  six  com- 
mittees, each  of  which  has  its  separate  functions ;  for,  in 
addition  to  its  superintendence  of  the  lighting  of  our 
coasts,  the  Trinity  Board  examines  our  pilots,  and 
delivers  them  their  certificates ;  watches  over  the  ballast- 
ing of  ships  in  the  Thames ;  establishes  and  keeps  in 
order  the  various  sea-marks ;  examines  the  scholars  of 
Christ's  Hospital,  who  are  intended  for  a  maritime  career  ; 
collects  the  revenues ;  and  superintends  the  boarders  in 
the  houses  of  refuge  which  belong  to  the  Corporation. 
Its  charters,  moreover,  confer  upon  it  the  right  of  punish- 
ing seamen  for  mutiny,  ill  conduct,  or  desertion ;  but  this 
power  is  now-a-days  never  exercised. 

The  story  of  our  two  other  Corporations  may  be  briefly 
told.  The  Commission  of  Northern  Lights,  incorporated 


LIGHTHOUSE  COMMISSIONS.  55 

in  1786,  by  an  Act  of  George  III.,  is  composed  of  two 
magistrates  appointed  by  the  Crown,  of  the  sheriffs  of  the 
sea-board  counties,  of  the  provosts  of  certain  royal  burghs, 
and  of  the  provost  of  Greenock. 

The  Board  of  Ballast  of  Dublin,  which  has  under  its 
charge  the  lightage  of  the  Irish  coast,  consists  of  mer- 
chants, bankers,  magistrates,  railway  directors ;  and  the 
only  seaman  associated  with  them  is  a  coast-guard  officer. 
It  is  subordinate  to  the  Board  of  Trade. 

The  Trinity  House,  Northern  Lights,  and  Ballast  Board 
are  under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  Before  new 
lighthouses  are  erected  by  the  Trinity  House,  they  must 
be  sanctioned  by  the  Board  of  Trade  ;  and  before  Scotch 
or  Irish  lighthouses  are  erected,  the  Trinity  House  are 
consulted,  and  in  the  event  of  that  Board  differing  with 
the  Irish  or  Scotch,  the  Board  of  Trade  give  their  decision, 
which  is  final.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  there  should 
still  exist  a  considerable  number  of  lighthouses  which  are 
under  the  control  of  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  local 
authorities ;  *  and  every  person  who  appreciates  the  im- 
portance of  securing  a  vigorous  and  able  administration 
will  join  us  in  expressing  a  hope  that  before  long  the 
lightage  of  the  United  Kingdom  may  form  the  subject  of 
efficacious  legislative  action. 

The  number  and  nature  of  the  lights  of  the  United 
Kingdom  are  as  follows  : — 

*  See  Report  of  the  Royal  Commissioners  on  Lights,  Buoys,  and  Beacons, 
1861.  —  Edinburgh  Review,  Jan.  18G2,  p.  173. 


56  A  COMPARATIVE  VIEW. 

In  England  :  lighthouses,  lights  on  piers,  harbour  lights, 
&c.,  237.  Add  49  lightships— total,  286. 

In  Scotland  :  lighthouses,  lights  on  piers,  harbour  lights, 
&c.j  134.  Add  1  lightship— total,  135. 

In  Ireland  :  lighthouses,  lights  on  piers,  harbour  lights, 
&c.,  85.  Add  8  lightships— total,  93. 

The  general  result  for  the  United  Kingdom  is,  that  we 
have  456  lighthouses,  harbour  lights,  local  lights,  &c., 
and  58  lightships.  Total,  514. 

We  may  compare  these  figures  with  those  of  the  French 
lights. 

Coast-line  of  England  measures  2405  nautical  miles. 
Coast-line  of  Scotland  ,.  4467  nautical  miles. 
Coast-line  of  Ireland  „  2518  nautical  miles. 

Coast-line  of  France  „         2763  nautical  miles. 

Now  France  has  224  lighthouses,  but  no  floating  lights. 
The  proportion  of  lights  to  the  coast-line  is,*  therefore,  as 
follows : — 

In  England 1  to  every  8£  miles  (nearly). 

In  Scotland 1  to  every  33  miles. 

In  Ireland 1  to  every  27  miles. 

In  France 1  to  every  12.3  miles. 

We  may  here  explain  the  French  system  of  administra- 
tion, which,  however,  cannot  be  said  to  equal  our  own  in 
efficiency  or  comprehensiveness,  nor  to  surpass  it  in 

*  This  proportion  will  be  slightly  modified,  but  not  materially,  if  we  deduct 
the  harbour  and  pier  lights  from  the  English,  Scotch,  and  Irish  totals. 


FftENCH  SYSTEM  OF  ADMINISTRATION.  57 

economy.  At  all  events,  the  foregoing  figures  show  that 
the  English  coast  is  far  more  numerously  lighted  than  the 
French. 

The  French  system  dates  from  the  beginning  of  the 
present  century,  and  is  administered  by  the  Department 
of  Ponts  et  Chaussees,  composed  of  naval  officers,  hydro- 
graphic  engineers,  members  of  the  French  Institute,  and 
other  persons  acquainted  with  the  sciences  which  bear 
upon  navigation.  The  general  direction  of  the  service  is 
committed  to  the  Inspector- General  of  Ponts  et  Chaussees, 
who  has  under  his  orders  a  certain  number  of  engineers, 
in  each  maritime  district,  charged  with  the  supervision, 
construction,  and  administration  of  lighthouses.  This 
board  or  directorate  has  its  own  manufactories  in  Paris, 
where  experiments  are  tried  with  lighting  apparatus,  and 
where  the  artisan  receives  all  the  information  necessary  to 
guide  him  in  the  construction  of  every  part  of  the  appara- 
tus, such  as  the  calculation  of  angles,  prisms,  curves, 
lenses,  and  the '  like.  One  of  the  best  results  of  this 
centralization  is  the  economy  it  insures ;  the  entire  cost 
of  the  French  service  not  exceeding  £40,000  per  annum. 
It  may  be  added,  that  to  France,  as  to  the  United  States, 
belongs  the  praise  of  having  looked  upon  the  lightage  of 
her  coasts,  not  as  a  source  of  public  or  private  revenue, 
but  as  a  work  of  humanity.  We  trust  that  England, 
before  any  long  period  has  elapsed,  will  abolish  the  tolls 
now  levied  upon  shipping  for  the  maintenance  of  her 
lighthouses.  We  admit  that  they  have  been  con- 
siderably reduced;  but  they  still  remain  a  burden  upon 
commerce,  and  a  burden  which  commerce  ought  not  to 
bear. 


58  A    VISIT  TO  THE  TRINITY  HOUSE. 


TRINITY    HOUSE. 


Let  us  now  pay  a  visit  to  the  Trinity  House,  in  London, 
taking  as  our  guide  the  shrewd  and  lively  author  of  "  The 
English  at  Home/' 

Opposite  the  Tower  of  London,  he  says,  or,  more  strictly 
speaking,  opposite  the  ancient  fosses  of  that  fortress,  now 
converted  into  an  agreeable  promenade,  extends  a  fine 
open  area  of  green  turf,  edged  round  with  shrubs ;  and,  in 
the  rear  of  this  square,  rises  an  edifice  which  seems  pur- 
posedly  to  isolate  itself  from  the  noise  of  the  multitude — 
it  is  the  Trinity  House. 

The  abode  of  this  important  maritime  Society  was  for- 
merly situated  in  Water  Lane,  whence  it  was  driven  out  by 
two  successive  conflagrations ;  otherwise,  could  any  better 
choice  be  made  than  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
Thames,  of  the  great  docks,  and  of  the  forest  of  masts 


DECORATIONS  OF  THE  INTERIOR.  59 

which  crowds  it  for  many  miles,  like  the  parks  or  planta- 
tions of  great  trees  which  surround  at  a  distance  the 
manorial  mansions  of  the  English  aristocracy  ? 

The  principal  features  of  the  edifice,  erected  in  1793  by 
James  Wyatt,  are,  a  massive  basement,  surmounted  by  a 
single  story  enriched  with  Doric  columns  and  pilasters, 
the  whole  built  of  Portland  stone.  On  the  fa9ade,  numer- 
ous genii,  which,  with  round  faces  and  puffed-out  cheeks, 
might  be  taken  for  so  many  cupids,  hold  in  their  hands 
anchors,  compasses,  and  marine  charts.  These  emblems, 
however,  sufficiently  indicate  the  character  of  the  insti- 
tution. 

The  ground-floor  in  the  interior  is  occupied  by  offices ; 
the  upper  contains  some  noble  apartments,  to  which 
admission  can  only  be  procured  by  special  favour.  A 
noble  vestibule  leads  to  a  double  staircase  of  stone,  whose 
two  branches,  after  ascending  in  different  directions,  unite 
in  a  central  landing-place,  enriched  with  ornaments  and 
sculptures.  On  the  right,  in  a  semicircle  described  by  the 
wall,  is  framed  a  large  oil  painting,  by  Gainsborough's 
nephew,  representing  a  body  of  past  "  Elder  Brethren," 
grouped  together,  and  in  uniform.  On  the  left,  in  panels  of 
glass,  are  inscribed  the  names  of  various  benefactors  of  the 
establishment,  and  the  amount  of  their  bequests.  Massive 
doors  of  mahogany  introduce  the  visitor  into  the  Board 
Room,  whose  ceiling,  painted  in  1796,  by  a  French  artist 
named  Rigaud,  and  loaded  with  sprawling  allegories, 
exhibits  the  Prosperity  of  England  as  springing  from 
Navigation  and  Commerce.  The  British  Neptune  ad- 
vances in  triumph,  surrounded  by  sea-horses,  and  attended 
by  Tritons.  In  one  hand  he  carries  a  trident,  in  the 


60  THE  PRINCIPAL  SALOON. 

other  the  shield  of  the  United  Kingdom.  His  march  is 
protected  by  cannons  and  other  instruments  of  war,  while 
genii  hovering  round  him  wave  the  standard  of  Grreat 
Britain.  The  standard  may  pass  muster ;  but  cannons ! 
Is  not  this  an  abuse  of  anachronism  even  for  a  picture  ? 
On  the  other  side,  Britannia,  seated  on  a  rock,  receives  in 
her  bosom  the  products  of  different  countries.  Sea 
nymphs,  bending  under  their  weight  of  riches,  hasten 
from  every  quarter,  and  seamen  spread  upon  the  shores  of 
England  the  fruits  of  an  extended  commerce.  Children 
wave  to  and  fro  their  torches  in  representation  of  the 
lights  which  encircle  the  coasts  of  the  British  Isles,  and 
during  the  darkness  of  night  direct  the  movements  of  her 
ships. 

The  walls  of  this  saloon  are  decorated  with  portraits 
of  George  IV.,  William  IV.,  and  their  queens,  for  royalty 
itself  is  no  stranger  to  the  annals  of  the  Trinity  House, 
and  monarchs  honour  themselves  by  figuring  among  the 
insignia  of  the  fraternity  of  which  they  have  been  the 
members  and  the  patrons.  The  Duke  of  "Wellington's 
portrait,  by  Lucas,  is  considered  the  best  in  existence  of 
the  Conqueror  of  Waterloo.  The  busts  of  the  Queen  and 
the  late  Prince  Consort,  in  white  marble,  by  Noble — one 
of  the  few  living  sculptors  who  have  attained  to  celebrity  in 
England — rest  solemnly  at  the  two  corners  of  the  mantel- 
piece. Twenty  arm-chairs  ranged  round  a  large  table 
shaped  like  a.  crescent,  and  covered  with  a  green  cloth, 
mark  the  places  of  the  members  of  the  Council  at  their 
various  meetings.  The  associates  of  the  Trinity  Hou^e 
think,  with  Ben  Jonson,  that  good  repasts  encourage 
brotherly  feeling.  The  dining-room,  lighted  by  a  kind 


FRENCH  LIGHTHOUSE  MUSEUM.  61 

of  circular  lantern  which  surmounts  the  ceiling,  displays 
what  may  very  justly  be  called  a  quiet  and  substantial 
luxury.  Here  we  may  remark  the  bust  of  William  Pitt, 
by  Chantrey ;  portraits  of  the  Earl  of  Sandwich,  the 
Duke  of  Bedford,  Sir  Francis  Drake,  and,  especially,  that 
of  Sir  Kenelm  Digby,  by  Vandyke.  At  regular  intervals, 
some  excellent  models  of  lighthouses  in  relief,  preserved 
under  glass,  remind  the  visitor  of  the  all-important  object 
of  this  ancient  Corporation. 

The  French  Lighthouses  Commission  is  not  so  splendidly 
lodged  as  the  Trinity  Board,  nor  is  its  Museum  equal  to 
the  one  at  Edinburgh.*  But,  side  by  side  with  models  of 
modern  lighthouses,  are  models  of  the  most  ancient,  from 
the  ungainly  tower  whose  summit  was  lit  up  with  a  rude 
fire  of  sea-coal,  to  the  elegant  edifice  of  the  Heaux  de 
Brehat.  It  also  contains  numerous  examples  of  all  the 
catoptric  or  dioptric  apparatus  which  are,  or  have  been,  in 
use,  as  well  as  specimens  of  clocks,  buoys,  and  beacons. 
The  Lighthouse  Museum  is,  finally,  the  central  depot  where 
experiments  are  conducted  in  reference  to  all  the  elements 
of  maritime  lightage,  under  the  supreme  direction  of  M. 
Emile  Allard,  the  engineer-in-chief. 

*  We  refer  to  the  Exhibition  of  Lighthouse  Models  in  the  Industrial  Museum. 


CHAPTER  II. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION  OF  LIGHTHOUSES. 

j'N  reference  to  the  military  protection  of  our 
coasts,  the  civilian  is  frequently  warned  of  the 
necessity  of  maintaining  more  than  one  "  line 
of  defence ;  "  a  similar  necessity  exists  as  re- 
gards their  complete  and  satisfactory  lightage.  We  know, 
too,  that  at  one  point  a  battery  is  erected ;  at  another,  a 
simple  earthwork  is  pronounced  sufficient ;  at  a  third,  the 
eye  ranges  over  an  intricate  combination  of  forts.  The 
same  variety  exists  in  the  disposition  of  those  coast- 
defences  which  are  designed  in  the  interests  of  secure  and 
peaceful  navigation.  Follow,  with  the  mind's  eye,  the  long 
coast-line  of  our  country  ^  and  how  many  differences  we 
shall  note  in  the  situation  of  its  lighthouses,  in  their 
mode  of  construction,  their  elevation,  their  system  of 
illumination.  Each  pharos  has,  as  it  were,  a  speech  of 
its  own ;  each  addresses,  in  significant  language,  the  sea- 
man who  turns  to  it  for  advice  or  warning.  This  points 
out  the  entrance  to  a  commodious  haven,  where,  after 
being  much  tossed  by  unquiet  waves,  the  weary  mariner 
may  repose  in  safety ;  that  indicates  the  site  of  a  perilous 


VARIETY  OF  LIGHTS.  63 

rock  or  sand-bank,  on  which  a  storm -driven  vessel  must 
assuredly  perish.  Here  we  see  a  noble  tower,  whose 
genial  rays  are  visible  at  a  distance  of  twenty-seven 
nautical  miles ;  there  burns  a  steady  light,  whose  extent 
of  illumination  is  restricted  to  five  miles.  One  is  a  fixed 
light,  glowing  constantly  like  a  brilliant  star ;  another, 
more  mysterious,  suddenly  flashes  forth  from  the  deep 
darkness,  flings  over  the  sea  its  arrow7  of  flame,  and  then 
is  again  extinguished,  to  reappear,  a  few  moments  later, 
in  the  same  strange  and  impressive  manner.  Nor  are  all 
lights  of  an  uniform  colour.  Some  are  red,  with  an 
intense  ruby-like  splendour ;  others  white ;  others,  again, 
are  blue  or  green.  This  variety  in  the  range  and  aspect 
of  the  "  beacon-fires  "  has,  like  the  variety  in  the  size  and 
position  of  our  forts  and  batteries,  a  special  object. 

The  system  of  lightage  generally  adopted,  says  M. 
Renard,  consists  in  surrounding  the  coast  with  three  lines 
of  defence ;  the  outmost  being  composed  of  lighthouses 
with  a  very  extensive  range.  It  has  justly  been  deemed 
of  the  highest  importance  to  signal  to  the  mariner  the 
proximity  of  the  land,  since  it  is  in  the  waters  near  the 
coast  that  navigation  is  exposed  to  the  greatest  dangers. 
The  littoral  presents  a  number  of  capes,  promontories,  and 
headlands,  more  or  less  projecting  beyond  the  general  level, 
as  well  as  islets,  and  reefs,  and  shallows,  which  require  to 
be  carefully  avoided.  Now,  lighthouses  of  the  first  class, 
as  we  may  call  them,  or  "  sea-lights,"  are  usually  planted 
on  these  promontories  or  rocks;  and  along  the  British  shore 
they  are  so  arranged  that  it  is  impossible,  except  in  a 
dense  fog,  to  arrive  in  its  neighbourhood  without  catching 
sight  of  one  or  more  of  them. 


64 


SECONDARY  LIGHTS. 


THE   LIGHTHOUSE   ON   THE   ROCKY   HEADLAND. 

When  he  has  overpassed  the  first  line  of  defence,  the 
navigator  encounters  a  second  circle — "  secondary-lights  " 
— composed  of  lighthouses  of  the  second  and  third  orders, 
indicating  secondary  capes,  reefs,  and  sand-banks,  to  which 
it  is  prudent  to  give  a  good  offing.  When  the  mouth  of 
a  river  or  the  entrance  of  a  port  is  only  accessible  by 
narrow  channels,  whose  direction  an  experienced  and 
veteran  pilot  can  hardly  determine  by  night,  other  lights 
of  the  same  class  are  placed  in  the  line  of  the  channel,  and 
point  out  the  exact  course  which  should  be  taken. 

Finally,  when  the  ship  has  arrived  near  the  port 
which  is  the  goal  of  her  voyage,  she  perceives  lights — 


THE  FIVE  LIGHTS.  65 

"  harbour-lights  " — upon  its  piers  or  breakwaters,  which 
guide  her  to  her  much-wished-for  berth. 

When  the  best  positions  for  illumination  have  been 
selected,  the  most  difficult  task  is,  or  rather  was,  to  pro- 
vide for  their  easy  distinction,  so  that  the  sailor  may  not 
be  misled  by  too  close  a  resemblance  of  one  to  another. 
Suitable  variations  and  modifications  have  been,  fortunately, 
supplied  by  the  valuable  labours  of  Fresnel,  and  of  the 
engineers  who  have  followed  in  his  track. 

At  first,  however,  the  embarrassment  was  considerable. 
Thus,  the  code  laid  down  by  the  celebrated  French  Com- 
mission in  1825,  admitted  of  only  three  characters  for 
lighthouses  of  the  first  order :  the  "  fixed  light/'  the 
"  revolving  minute  light,"  and  the  "  revolving  half-minute 
light."  But  it  was  soon  discovered  that  merchant  seamen 
did  not  sufficiently  heed  the  differences  observed  between 
the  intervals  of  the  appearance  and  disappearance  of  the 
latter  lights ;  and  the  number  of  lighthouses,  moreover, 
having  multiplied  beyond  all  prevision,  it  became  ab- 
solutely indispensable  to  allow  of  a  greater  number  of 
distinctive  characters. 

Now-a-days  we  recognize  five  :  the  "  fixed  light,"  the 
"  flashing  light,"  the  "  revolving,"  the  "  intermittent,"  and 
the  "  double  lights  in  one  tower." 

The  "  flashing  light  "  is  that  which  shows  alternately 
two  flashes  and  two  eclipses,  or  more,  in  the  interval  of  a 
minute. 

The  "  flashing  light,"  the  "  intermittent,"  and  the 
"  double  lights  in  one  tower  "  were  all  first  proposed  and 
introduced  into  Scotland  by  the  late  Mr.  R.  Stevenson. 


66  THEIR  RECENT  INTRODUCTION. 

The  lustre  of  the  "  revolving  light  "  gradually  increases 
to  a  maximum,  and  diminishes  to  a  minimum,  until  wholly 
eclipsed,  at  equal  intervals  of  half  a  minute,  one,  two,  or 
three  minutes,  and  sometimes  thrice  in  a  minute. 

We  designate  it  an  "  intermittent  light "  when  the  ray 
suddenly  appears,  remains  visible  for  a  moment,  and  after- 
wards is  again  suddenly  eclipsed  for  a  brief  interval. 

With  this  scientific  arrangement  before  us,  it  seems 
strange  to  recollect  that  even  so  lately  as  the  year  1816, 
the  Isle  of  May  light,  in  the  Firth  of  Forth,  consisted  of 
nothing  better  than  a  coal-fire.  Nor  had  England  made 
any  greater  progress  in  the  art  of  illumination,  for  the 
magnificent  tower  of  the  Eddystone,  says  Mr.  Stevenson, 
about  fifty  years  after  it  came  from  the  hands  of  Smeaton, 
could  boast  of  no  better  light  than  that  derived  from  a  few 
miserable  tallow  candles.  Nay,  so  lately  as  the  year  1801, 
the  light  at  Harwich,  in  addition  to  the  coal-fires,  had  a 
flat  plate  of  rough  brass  on  the  landward  side,  to  serve  as 
a  reflector !  Such  methods,  continues  Mr.  Stevenson,  were 
most  imperfect,  not  only  in  point  of  efficiency  and  power, 
but  also  as  respects  the  distinction  of  one  light  from 
another ;  an  object  which,  on  a  difficult  and  rugged  coast, 
may  be  considered  as  of  almost  equal  importance  with  the 
distance  at  which  the  lights  can  be  seen.* 

It  must  also  be  remembered  that  too  great  a  multiplicity 
of  lights  would  not  be  less  dangerous  than  a  deficiency  in 
number.  Were  the  littoral  too  abundantly  illuminated, 
the  effect  produced  on  the  navigator  would  be  that  of  a 
continuous  and  confused  line  of  fire.  He  would  be  dazzled 

*  Stevenson,  "  On  Lighthouses,"  pp.  60,  01. 


"IN  THE  MULTITUDE  OF  COUNSELLORS."          67 

by  the  blaze,  and  unable  to  determine  the  particular  point 
to  which  he  should  steer  his  vessel.  Before  the  Royal 
Commission  of  1861,  one  witness  actually  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  there  were  too  many  lights  on  the  English 
coast,  and  that  the  consequence  was  an  increase  of  col- 
lisions, a  neglect  of  the  lead, "and  continual  shipwrecks. 
He  added,  however,  that  without  the  increase  of  light, 
steamers  could  not  run  in  and  out  of  ports  at  night.  The 
extent  of  illumination  being  necessary,  the  only  method  of 
reducing  the  danger  of  confusion  to  a  minimum  is  that 
adopted  by  our  engineers — a  clear  and  distinct  variety  of 
lights. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  ILLUMINATING  APPARATUS  OF  LIGHTHOUSES. 

IT  has  very  justly  been  said  that  the  object  of 
placing  in  a  lighthouse  an  illuminating  ap- 
paratus is,  that,  whether  it  be  constructed  of 
glass  or  of  metal,  it  may  lend  the  rays  (which 
would  otherwise  and  naturally  proceed  in  straight  lines), 
and  illuminate  a  hollow  sphere,  so  that  those  rays  which 
would  otherwise  be  thrown  upon  the  sky,  and  thereby 
wasted,  may  be  made  to  fall  on  points  at  sea,  where  they 
will  be  clearly  visible.  If  the  light  is  to  be  a  fixed  one, 
intended  to  be  seen  all  round,  and  from  the  horizon  to  the 
base  of  the  light-tower,  the  upper  rays  issuing  from  an 
illuminating  apparatus  must  be  directed  downwards,  and  the 
lower  rays  upwards,  so  as  to  increase  the  illumination.  If  it  is 
desired  to  light  up  a  narrow  belt  of  the  sea,  extending  from 
the  horizon  to  the  base  of  the  lighthouse,  all  the  rays  must 
be  bent  laterally;  or  they  may  all  be  concentrated  and  thrown 
upon  one  or  more  spots  of  larger  or  smaller  size,  according 
as  the  light  may  be  needed — as  in  the  case  of  fixed  lights 
placed  at  the  end  of  narrow  channels,  and  of  revolving 
lights  which  are  made  visible  all  round  by  causing  the 


A  X  HISTORIC  A  L  SURVE  Y.  69 

lenses  and  reflectors  to  revolve  about  the  source  of  light, 
or  with  that  source  about  a  centre.* 

Two  methods  have  been  employed  for  the  purpose  of 
throwing  light  in  the  desired  direction :  first,  by  silvered 
parabolic  reflectors,  which  is  called  the  Catoptric  System ; 
second,  by  the  employment  of  lenses  of  a  peculiar  con- 
struction, which  is  known  as  the  Dioptric  (or  Refracting) 
System. 

Occasionally  these  two  systems  are  combined,  as  in  the 
ordinary  Gatadioptric,  and  in  Mr.  Stevenson's  admirable 
HolopJiotal  arrangement,  whether  Catoptric  or  Dioptric. 

Before  describing  them,  however,  it  will  be  desirable  to 
offer  a  brief  history  of  lighthouse  illumination. 

It  was  at  a  comparatively  recent  epoch  that  wood  and 
coal  fires  were  for  the  first  time  replaced  by  candles,  and 
the  open  summit  of  the  tower  covered  in  with  glass. 
About  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century,  for  these  in- 
sufficient producers  of  light,  lamps  were  substituted,  whose 
lustre  was  directed  to  a  distance  by  reflectors  of  polished 
metal.  Many  of  the  lighthouses  of  this  epoch  were  pro- 
vided with  the  species  of  apparatus  here  described ;  among 
others,  those  of  Capes  de  FAilly  and  de  la  Heve,  the  isles 
Rhe  and  Oleron.  In  1782,  an  identical  mode  of  lightage 
was  established  at  Cordouan ;  but  though  this  lighthouse 
did  not  include  less  than  twenty-four  lamps,  accompanied 
each  by  a  reflector,  it  diffused  so  feeble  a  light,  that  the 
seamen  immediately  insisted  on  a  return  to  the  barbarous 
system  of  the  Middle  Ages. 

The  apparatus  of  which  they  complained  was,  in  truth, 
exceedingly  defective ;  its  lamps,  differing  but  little  from 

*  Edinburgh  Review,  Jan.  1862,  pp.  178,  179. 


70  ARGAND  AND  CARCEL. 

those  which  the  seven  foolish  virgins  suffered  to  die  out, 
had  broad  wicks,  and  if  they  produced  but  little  light,  by 
way  of  compensation  they  emitted  an  enormous  amount  of 
smoke.  It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  men  of  science 
should,  with  a  view  to  improvement,  first  direct  their 
attention  to  the  lamp.  The  pioneer  in  this  course  of 
inquiry  was  Argand,  who,  about  1748,  contrived  to  secure 
11  a  double  current  of  air;"  which  consists,  as  any  one  may 
see  in  the  first  lamp  he  meets  with,  of  a  wick,  shaped  like 
a  hollow  cylinder,  enclosed  in  a  glass  tube.  The  heat 
caused  by  the  combustion  of  the  oil  produces  a  vigorous 
draught,  which  leads  to  an  abundant  circulation  of  air 
both  internally  and  externally;  and  air  is  for  the  lamp,  as 
for  man,  the  plant,  and  the  animal — life ! 

Various  modifications  and  improvements  of  Argand's 
system  have  been  successively  introduced.  The  glass 
tube,  for  instance,  by  one  inventor,  was  contracted  at  a 
short  distance  above  the  burner,  so  as  to  project  more 
immediately  the  current  of  air  upon  the  flame,  and  stim- 
ulate combustion.  In  his  turn,  Carcel  bethought  himself 
of  supplying  the  wick  with  a  superabundant  quantity  of 
oil,  so  as  to  avoid  the  heating  of  the  burner,  and  to  render 
the  flame  more  regular ;  he  thus  succeeded  in  keeping  the 
lamps  burning  for  a  longer  period  without  a  replenishment 
of  the  wick. 

There  then  remained  the  reflectors.  Curved  in  the  form 
of  a  spherical  segment,  these  received  but  a  small  portion 
of  the  luminous  rays,  and  rarely  returned  them  in  the 
proper  direction.  Teulere,  the  engineer-in-chief  of  the 
province  of  Bordeaux,  who  was  to  distinguish  himself  at  a 
later  period  by  the  erection  of  the  Cordouan  Tower,  was 


TEULERE'S  INVENTION.  71 

ordered  to  make  an  examination  of  both  the  lamps  and 
the  reflectors,  and  to  study  the  best  means  of  remedying 
the  evils  complained  of.  His  studies  resulted  in  a  paper 
of  great  interest,  published  in  1783.  To  concentrate  in  a 
single  direction  a  large  portion  of  the  rays  which  were  lost 
on  all  sides,  he  proposed  the  use  of  mirrors  of  perfect  polish 
and  a  better  form.  By  causing  these  mirrors  to  revolve 
around  a  lamp — that  is,  by  projecting  successively  towards 
every  point  of  the  horizon  the  lustre  formed  by  a  large 
portion  of  the  rays  thus  collected  into  a  single  sheaf — he 
invented  at  the  same  time  the  eclipse. 

It  was  not  at  Cordouan,  nevertheless,  that  the  system 
was  first  applied,  but  at  Dieppe,  where  the  celebrated 
Borda,  having  studied  Teulere's  paper,  had  a  small  revolv- 
ing apparatus  of  five  parabolic  reflectors  made  *  in  1784. 
The  apparatus  of  Cordouan,  likewise  established  by  Borda, 
was  not  placed  in  the  lighthouse  tower  until  after  its 
restoration  by  Teulere — that  is,  in  1790. 

This  method  of  lightage  was  obviously  a  great  improve- 
ment, and  all  the  maritime  powers  hastened  to  adopt  it. 
As  the  Catoptric  System,  it  was,  until  within  the  last  few 

*  To  be  more  exact  than  have  been  the  majority  of  authors  who  have 
written  on  lighthouses,  we  must  add  that  a  small  revolving  apparatus,  with 
three  reverberators  (probably  with  spherical  shells),  had  been  planted  at  the 
mouth  of  the  port  of  Marstrand,  in  Sweden,  prior  to  1783.  The  French 
engineer,  however,  had  thought  out  the  invention  for  himself,  in  ignorance 
that  it  had  been  elsewhere  realized,  and  his  was  the  merit  of  imagining  a 
system  so  complete  and  so  rational  in  all  its  parts,  that  nothing  has  since  been 
added  to  or  taken  from  his  conception. 

M.  Leonel  Reynard  informs  us  that  we  are  likewise  wrong  in  attributing  to 
Argand  the  idea  of  a  lamp  with  a  double  current  of  air.  It  is  to  Teulere  that 
it  should,  in  the  main,  be  attributed.  However,  this  engineer,  who  has  as- 
serted the  priority  of  his  claim  to  the  invention  of  the  reflectors,  and  the 
system  of  eclipses,  has  not  insisted  upon  that  of  the  lamp.  He  limits  himself 
to  saying  that  Argand  entertained  the  same  idea  as  himself,  and  derived  great 
profit  from  it. 


THE  CATOPTRIC  SYSTEM. 


years,  exclusively  employed  on  the  coast  of  England. 
Though  less  esteemed  in  France,  its  use  has  not  been  en- 
tirely abandoned ;  and  the  French  still  employ  catoptric 
apparatus  for  "  the  illumination  of  narrow  channels,  or 
for  harbour-lights ;  to  strengthen  in  a  given  direction  a 
light  whose  range  is  sufficient  for  the  maritime  horizon 
generally ;  to  illuminate  lightships ;  and  for  service  as 
provisional  appliances." 

In  the  accompany- 
ing design  we  repre- 
sent a  plan  and  eleva- 
tion of  a  catoptric 
apparatus,  which  is 
composed,  as  will  be 
seen,  of  nine  reflectors 
arranged  in  groups 
of  threes.  A  small 
votatory  machine  sets 
the  system  in  motion, 
and  eclipses  at  greater 
or  shorter  intervals 
are  obtained  by  the 
varying  speed  with 
which  it  is  worked. 
The  range  of  the  ap- 
paratus depends  partly 
on  its  power,  and 

CATOPTRIC   APPARATUS.  P**1?  ^  ^   POSiti011- 

The   reflectors,    as 
used  in  the  best  lighthouses,  are  made,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,* 

*  Stevenson,  "On  Lighthouses,"  pp.  92,  93. 


TILE  CATOPTRIC  SYSTEM.  73 

of  sheet  copper,  plated  in  the  proportion  of  six  ounces  of 
silver  to  sixteen  ounces  of  copper.  They  are  moulded  to 
a  paraboloidal  form  by  a  delicate  and  laborious  process  of 
beating  with  mallets  and  hammers  of  various  forms  and 
materials,  and  are  frequently  tested  during  the  operation 
by  the  application  of  a  mould  carefully  formed.  After 
being  brought  to  the  curve,  they  are  stiffened  round  the 
edge  by  means  of  a  strong  bizzle,  and  a  strap  of  brass 
which  is  attached  to  it  for  the  purpose  of  preventing  any 
accidental  alteration  of  the  figure  of  the  reflector.  Polish- 
ing powders  are  then  applied,  and  the  instrument  receives 
its  latest  finish. 

To  prove  the  form  of  the  reflector,  two  gauges  of  brass 
are  employed.  One  is  for  the  back,  and  used  by  the 
workmen  during  the  process  of  hammering;  the  other 
— while  the  mirror  undergoes  its  final  touches — is  applied 
to  the  concave  face.  The  mirror  is  then  tested  by  try- 
ing a  burner  in  the  focus,  and  measuring  the  intensity 
of  the  light  at  various  points  of  the  reflected  conical 
beam. 

The  flame  generally  used  in  reflectors  is  derived  from 
an  Argand  lamp,  with  wicks  an  inch  in  diameter.  The 
burners  are  sometimes  tipped  with  silver  to  prevent  the 
wick  from  being  wasted  by  the  great  heat  which  is 
evolved.  They  are  also  fitted,  in  many  of  the  Scottish 
lighthouses,  with  a  sliding  Apparatus  of  accurate  shape, 
by  which  they  can  be  removed  from  the  interior  of  the 
mirror  at  cleaning  time,  returned  exactly  to  the  same 
place,  and  locked  by  means  of  a  key. 

Catoptric  lights,  we  may  add,  are  divided   into  nine 


ITS  NINE  VARIETIES. 


separate  classes,  differing  in  some  respect  from  those 
recognized  by  the  French  authorities.  The  nine  classes 
are  called  fixed,  revolving  white,  re- 
volving red  and  white,  revolving  red 
with  two  whites,  revolving  white  with 
two  reds,  flashing,  intermittent,  double 
fixed  lights,  and  double  revolving 
luhite  lights. 

The  following  account  of  the  dis- 
tinctive character  of  each  class  of 
light  is  condensed  from  a  valuable 
treatise  by  Mr.  Alan  Stevenson : — 

The  fixed  exhibits  a  regular  and 
steady  appearance,  and  is  not  subject 
to  any  change ;  and  the  reflectors 
employed  are  smaller  than  those 
required  for  revolving  lights.  This 
is  necessary,  in  order  that  they  may 
be  ranged  round  the  circular  frame,  with  their  axes  so 
inclined  as  to  admit  of  their  illuminating  every  point  of 
the  horizon. 

The  revolving  light  is  produced  by  the  revolution  of  a 
three  or  four  sided  frame,  having  large  reflectors  grouped 
on  each  side,  with  their  axes  parallel ;  and  as  the  revolu- 
tion exhibits  once  a  minute,  or  once  in  two  minutes,  a 
light  gradually  increasing  to  the  maximum,  and  then  just 
as  gradually  decreasing  to  total  darkness,  its  effect  is 
remarkably  impressive. 

The  revolving  red  and  white  is  obtained  by  the  revolu- 
tion of  a  frame  whose  different  sides  present  red  and 
white  lights,  and  exhibit  the  following  succession : — two 


AN   ARGAND    FOUNTAIN 
LAMP. 


THE  FLASIIJXQ  LIGHT. 


white  lights   after  one  red,  or  two  red  lights  after  one 
white. 

The  flashing  light  is  effected  in  the  same  manner  as 
the  revolving  ;  but, 
owing  to  a  different 
construction  of  the 
frame,  the  reflectors 
on  each  of  the  eight 
sides  are  arranged  with 
their  rims  or  faces  in 
one  vertical  plane,  and 
their  axes  in  a  line 
inclined  to  the  perpen- 
dicular—  a  disposition 
of  the  mirrors  which, 
together  with  the 
greater  quickness  of 
the  revolution,  showing 
a  flash  once  in  five 
seconds  of  time,  pro 
duces  an  impressive 
effect,  wholly  different 
from  that  of  a  revolving 
light,  and  presenting 
the  appearance  of  an 
alternating  rising  and 
sinking  illumination. 
The  brightest  and  darkest  periods  being  but  momentary, 
this  light  is  also  characterized  by  a  rapid  succession  of 
bright  flashes ;  whence  its  name. 

The  intermittent  light  is  distinguished  by  bursting  sud- 


REVOLVINO   APPARATUS   OK   THE 
CATOPTRIC   PRINCIPLE. 


76  INTERMITTENT  AND  DOUBLE  LIGHTS. 

denly  into  view  and  continuing  steady  for  a  short  time, 
after  which  it  is  suddenly  eclipsed  for  half  a  minute. 
This  is  due  to  the  perpendicular  motion  of  circular  shades 
in  front  of  the  reflectors,  by  which  the  light  is  alternately 
revealed  and  hidden. 

The  double  lights  ("  which  are  seldom  used  except 
where  exists  a  necessity  for  a  leading  line,  as  a  guide  for 
taking  some  channel  or  avoiding  some  danger")  are 
generally  exhibited  from  two  towers,  one  of  which  is 
higher  than  the  other.  At  the  Calf  of  Man,  says 
Mr.  Stevenson,*  a  striking  variety  has  been  introduced 
into  the  character  of  leading  lights,  by  substituting  for 
two  fixed  lights,  two  lights  which  revolve  in  the  same 
periods,  and  exhibit  their  flashes  at  the  same  instant ;  and 
these  lights  are,  of  course,  susceptible  of  the  other  variety 
enumerated  above,  that  of  the  revolving  red  and  white 
lights,  or  flashing  lights,  coming  into  view  at  equal  inter- 
vals of  time.  The  utility  of  all  these  distinctions  is  to  be 
estimated  with  reference  to  their  property  of  at  once 
striking  the  eye  of  an  observer,  and  being  instantaneously 
obvious  to  strangers. 

The  introduction  of.  colour  as  a  source  of  distinction,  is 
the  only  means  of  obtaining  a  sufficient  number  of 
varieties.  Yet,  in  itself,  it  is  an  evil  of  no  small  magni- 
tude. The  effect  being  produced  by  interposing  coloured 
media  between  the  burner  and  the  eye  of  the  observer, 
much  light  is  lost  by  the  absorption  of  those  rays  which 
are  retained  in  order  to  produce  the  desired  appearance. 
Experiments  have  been  made  with  almost  every  colour ; 
but  only  red,  blue,  and  green  have  proved  useful,  and  the 

*  Stevenson,  "On  Lighthouses,"  pp.  105-107. 


THE  DIOPTRIC  SYSTEM.  77 

two  latter  merely  at  such  short  distances  as  to  unfit  them 
for  "  sea-lights."  Owing  to  the  depth  of  tint  required  to 
produce  a  marked  effect,  the  red  shades  generally  absorb 
about  from  six-sevenths  to  five-sevenths  of  the  whole 
light ;  a  loss  so  immense  as  certainly  to  discourage  their 
adoption  whenever  it  can  possibly  be  avoided.  The  red 
glass  used  in  France  absorbs  only  four-sevenths  of  the 
light ;  but  then,  as  might  be  expected,  its  colour  produces 
a  much  less  signal  distinction  to  the  seaman's  eye.  In 
some  of  the  British  lighthouses,  the  lights  are  very  simply 
and  conveniently  coloured,  by  the  use  of  chimneys  of  red 
glass,  instead  of  placing  large  discs  in  front  of  the 
reflectors. 

We  come  now  to  the  Dioptric*  System  of  Lights. 

The  application  of  lenses  to  lighthouses  seems  to  have 
been  proposed  in  England,  and  essayed  at  the  South 
Foreland,  as  far  back  as  1752;  but  owing  to  mechanical 
imperfection,  they  were  found  to  give  a  light  inferior  to 
that  of  the  paraboloidal  reflectors,  and  consequently  were 
abandoned.  Buffon,  the  great  naturalist,  suggested  that 
a  lens  might  be  constructed  in  concentric  zones  out  of  a 
solid  piece  of  glass ;  but  the  difficulties  of  the  process  have 
proved  too  great  to  be  overcome.  In,  or  about  1773, 
Condorcet  proposed  that  burning  lenses  should  be  built 
up  in  separate  pieces ;  and  a  similar  method  was 
described  by  Sir  David  Brewster  in  1811.  The  same 
construction  was  quite  independently  discovered  by  the 
ingenious  Fresnel  in  1819 ;  and  soon  afterwards  he  con- 

*  From  the  Greek  Siorrrpov,  an  optical  instrument  with  tube  for  looking 
through.  AiWrpoi/  is  from  Sia,  through  ;  and  STTTOJUCU,  I  see. 


JEAN  AUQUSTIX  FRESNEL. 


structed   a   lens,   placed   a   powerful   lamp   in   its  focus, 
and   rendered    it    available    for    the    practical    purposes 

of  a  lighthouse.  He  is 
therefore  the  author,  if 
not  the  inventor,  of  the 
highly  successful  system  of 
illumination  which  bears 
his  name. 

But  before  entering 
into  a  minuter  descrip- 
tion of  the  work,  let  us 
learn  a  few  particulars  of 
the  man. 

Jean  Augustin  Fresnel 
was  born  at  Broglie,  near 
Bernay,  in  the  French 
department  of  the  Eure, 
on  the  10th  of  May  1788. 
When  eight  years  old 
the  future  savant  was  still 
ignorant  of  his  letters ;  a  fact,  says  one  of  his  biographers, 
to  be  attributed  not  so  much  to  his  delicate  constitution 
as  to  a  deep-rooted  dislike  for  the  study  of  languages, 
and,  in  general,  for  all  exercises  dependent  upon  the 
memory.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  at  nine  years  of 
age,  he  was  already  distinguished  by  the  experimental 
researches  he  had  made  in  the  domain  of  physics ;  which 
induced  his  parents  to  send  him  to  the  Polytechnic 
School.  Here,  rising  step  by  step  with  remarkable 
rapidity,  he  eventually  became  Engineer  of  Ports  et 
Chaussees. 


ANNULAR   BUILT   LENS. 


INTERIOR  OF  A  LIGHTHOUSE.  79 

In  1819  he  carried  off  the  prize  proposed  by  the 
Academy  of  Sciences  on  the  difficult  question  of  the 
diffraction  of  light.  His  investigations  had  long  been 
directed  to  optical  subjects,  and  hence,  when  the  French 
Government  established  the  Lighthouse  Commission, 
Arago,  who  was  nominated  president,  immediately  ap- 
pointed Fresnel  to  the  important  post  of  secretary. 

Fresnel  recognized  the  peculiar  advantages  of  a  plano- 
convex lens  to  refract  in  lines  nearly  parallel  to  their  axis 
all  the  rays  emananting  from  their  foci.  Like  Condorcet 
and  Brewster,  who,  as  we  have  seen,  had  also  turned  their 
attention  to  the  problem,  though  only  for  so  far  as  concerned 
burning  instruments,  he  asked  himself  whether,  by  arrang- 
ing the  lenses  in  stages,  it  was  not  possible  to  correct  their 
spherical  aberration — a  defect  which  becomes  all  the  more 
signal  as  the  size  of  the  lenses  is  enlarged — and,  conse- 
quently, to  obtain  full  command  over  the  rays  of  a  lamp. 

Let  us  now  transport  ourselves  to  the  upper  story  of  a 
lighthouse,  and  putting  aside  the  motive  mechanism  of 
the  apparatus,  let  us  penetrate  into  the  lantern.  Cast  your 
glance  upon  the  interior  of  that  immense  diamond  which  we 
call  a  dioptric  apparatus.  The  first  object  which  strikes  our 
attention  is  the  lamp.  As  the  fire  which  shone  on  the  sum- 
mit of  the  edifice  was  the  soul  of  the  pharos,  so  the  lamp 
is  the  soul  of  the  modern  lighthouse.  It  was  to  this 
lamp  Teulere  first  directed  his  attention,  when  he  brought 
the  catoptric  system  to  perfection  ;  and  it  was  to  this 
lamp  that  Arago  and  Fresnel  addressed  themselves  when 
engaged,  in  their  time,  in  improving  the  work  of  Teulere, 
Argand,  and  Borda.  Only,  every  lighthouse  does  not 

tfW2)  6 


80  AN  ENGLISH  INVEST  ION. 

employ  the  same  kind  of  lamp.  In  one,  we  meet  with  the 
Carcel  lamp,  where  the  oil  is  elevated  to  the  wick  by  a 
clock- work  mechanism.  In  another,  it  is  the  Moderator, 
in  which  the  same  function  is  discharged  by  a  heavy 
weight  surrounding  a  roller.  In  others,  whose  range  is 
limited,  it  is  the  Permanent-level  lamp,  where  the  reser- 
voir of  oil  is  placed  by  the  side  and  on  the  level  of  the 
burner,  which  possesses  the  power  of  regulating  the 
supply. 

Let  us  draw  near,  however,  and  carefully  examine  the 
lamp  now  before  us,  because  in  several  details  it  differs 
from  those  we  have  described.  It  will  specially  interest 
us  as  an  English  invention. 

At  the  epoch  when  Teulere  and  Argand  had  made  the 
progress  already  specified  in  the  construction  of  a  suitable 
lamp,  Rumford,  desirous  of  effecting  a  still  greater  im- 
provement, asked  himself  whether,  by  adapting  it  to 
burners  with  several  concentric  wicks,  it  would  not  be 
possible  to  increase  its  power  of  illumination.  The 
attempt  was  made,  but  did  not  prove  successful ;  he 
experienced  considerable  difficulty  in  regulating  the 
flame  of  these  multiple  wicks,  and  in  preventing  their 
carbonization  under  the  action  of  the  intense  heat  de- 
veloped by  their  combination.  It  was  the  study  of  this 
question  which  led  Fresnel  and  Arago  to  their  beautiful 
experiments  on  the  illumination  of  lighthouses. 

After  repeated  essays,  these  two  men  of  science  decided 
on  the  type  of  the  lamp  which  we  are  now  contemplating ; 
an  instrument  remarkable  not  only  for  the  whiteness  and 
intensity  of  its  light,  but  also  for  what  I  may  call  its 
power  of  endurance ;  it  will  burn  for  upwards  of  twelve 


L IOHTHO  USE  DE  TA ILS.  8 1 

hours  without  requiring  to  be  touched.  And  that  this  ad- 
vantage is  most  important  the  reader  will  apprehend, 
when  he  remembers  that  the  lighthouse-flame  must  be 
kept  kindled  throughout  the  longest  nights  of  winter. 

At  the  present  day,  lighthouses  of  the  third  class  are 
illuminated  by  lamps  with  two  concentric  wicks ;  which,  in 
a  certain  sense,  means  two  lamps  in  one.  In  lighthouses 
of  the  second  class,  each  lamp  has  three ;  and  in  those  of 
the  first  class,  each  has  four  wicks.  In  the  latter  we 
obtain,  with  a  single  illuminating  apparatus,  the  full 
power  of  twenty-three  Carcel  lamps.  The  luminous  focus, 
though  gifted  with  so  much  potency,  presents,  neverthe- 
less, but  a  flame  of  moderate  breadth,  and  its  light  is  as 
white  as  it  is  brilliant. 

The  oil  employed  in  the  lighthouses  of  Great  Britain, 
Ireland,  and  France  is  the  colza,  which  has  of  late  years 
entirely  superseded  spermaceti  oil,  as  producing  an  equal 
quantity  of  light  at  little  more  than  half  the  expense. 
The  electric  light  has,  however,  been  proposed  as  a  more 
powerful  method  of  illumination.  One  system,  in  which 
the  light  is  produced  between  carbon  points  by  the  revolu- 
tion of  magnets  fixed  on  wheels,  worked  by  a  steam-engine, 
was  tried  with  much  success  by  Professor  Holmes  at  the 
South  Foreland ;  and  is  still,  we  believe,  in  use  at  Dunge- 
ness,  as  it  is,  in  France,  at  the  two  lighthouses  of 
La  Heve.  In  the  latter  case,  the  mechanism  producing 
the  currents  is  composed  of  two  steam-engines,  each  with 
a  five-horse  power,  and  of  four  electro-magnetic  machines 
of  six  discs,  composed  each  of  sixteen  bobbins.  It  is 
placed  in  a  boat,  adapted  for  the  purpose,  at  an  equal 


82 


X TENSITY  OF  ILLUMINATION. 


distance  from  the  two  cowers.  Under  ordinary  atmo- 
spheric conditions,  a 
single  steam-engine 
is  kept  in  motion, 
communicating  with 
a  magneto  -  electric 
machine  for  each 
lighthouse.  During 
fogs  and  mists,  both 
engines  are  in  activ- 
ity, and  each  light- 
house receives  the 
currents  of  two  mag- 
n  eto-electric  batteri  es, 
which  are  then  associ- 
ated. 

Both  lighthouses 
are  supplied  with 
two  lenticular  appar- 
atus, placed  one  above 
another  in  the  same 
lantern.  The  regula- 
tors of  the  progress  of 
the  carbons  were  invented  by  M.  Serrin,  whose  object  has 
been  to  augment  their  sensibility,  and,  consequently,  the 
regularity  of  the  light;  in  which  respect,  now-a-days,  little 
is  left  to  be  desired.  The  mean  intensity  of  the  light  pro- 
duced by  a  machine  of  six  discs  is  computed  as  equal  to 
200  Carcel  burners.  The  intensity  of  the  cone  of  light 
emanating  from  the  lenticular  apparatus,  when  illuminated 
in  this  manner,  rises  to  5000  burners. 


ELECTRIC   APPARATUS    FOR   A    FIXED    LIGHT 


USE  OF  THE  ELECTRIC  LIGHT.  83 

The  electric  light,  as  yet,  is  applied  only  to  light- 
houses with  fixed  lights,  for  a  special  arrangement  would 
be  necessary  in  the  lenticular  apparatus  before  it  could  be 
employed  with  the  same  advantage  in  the  production 
of  intermittent  lights  (feux  a  eclipses).  Experiments, 
however,  have  been  made  in  this  direction,  which  promise 
good  results.  Yet,  in  the  present  state  of  its  mechani- 
cal conditions,  the  system  of  electric  illumination  does 
not  seem  susceptible  of  any  very  great  development 
upon  our  shores.  It  cannot  be  applied  economically 
to  lights  which  require  no  very  great  intensity, — and 
these  lights  are  the  most  numerous ;  and,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  intricate  constructions  which  it  necessitates,  the 
chances  of  accident  which  it  presents,  and  the  quantity  of 
coal  which  it  consumes,  are  obstacles  to  its  employment 
in  lighthouses  isolated  at  sea,  whose  communications 
with  the  mainland  are  liable  to  interruption,  and  where 
it  is  of  importance  to  reduce  as  much  as  possible  the 
dimensions  of  the  edifice  as  well  as  the  amount  of  trans- 
port. However  this  may  be,  the  electric  light  would 
seem  destined  to  render  valuable  services  to  navigation  at 
every  point  where  it  can  be  employed,  and  like  the  two 
great  inventions  which  the  history  of  marine  lightage 
signalizes — that  of  paraboloidal  reflectors,  and  next,  that 
of  the  lenticular  apparatus — it  constitutes  a  special  and 
noteworthy  progress,  under  the  threefold  aspect  of  in- 
tensity of  light,  diversity  of  character,  and  the  value  of 
luminous  unity. 

We  may  add  that  Mr.  Wilde,  of  Manchester,  has 
invented  a  powerful  electro -magnetic  apparatus  for  light- 
house illumination,  which  may  probably  prove  valuable. 


84  REFRACTION  OF  LIGHT. 

Modifications  of  the  lime  light,  resulting  from  the  action 
of  an  oxy-hydrogen  flame  upon  a  surface  of  prepared  lime, 
have  also  been  suggested ;  and  the  least  powerful  of  these 
surpasses  in  brilliancy  the  best  oil-lamp,  as  that  surpasses 
the  open  coal-fire.  We  may,  therefore,  expect  that  as  the 
latter  barbarous  mode  of  illumination  gave  way  to  the 
catoptric,  or  reflecting  system,  so  will  the  dioptric,  before 
many  years  have  passed,  succumb  to  some  ingenious 
apparatus  capable  of  utilizing  either  the  lime  or  the 
electric  light. 

We  now  return  to  Fresnel's  system,  the  dioptric, 
which  is  pretty  generally  adopted  in  the  British  light- 
houses. 

We  must  here  premise  that  the  system  is  based  upon 
the  laws  of  the  refraction  of  light. 

But,  says  the  non-scientific  reader,  what  do  you  mean 
by  the  refraction  of  light  ?  I  know  very  well  what 
reflection  is  ;  I  am  not  so  clear  as  to  refraction. 

A  ray  of  light,  when  transmitted  obliquely  from  one 
transparent  body  to  another  of  different  density,  undergoes, 
at  the  point  where  it  strikes  the  common  surface  of  the 
two  planes,  a  sudden  change  of  direction.  This  change 
of  direction  is  called  refraction.  For  instance,  plunge 
one  half  of  a  straight  ruler  into  a  basin  of  water.  The 
ruler  no  longer  appears  straight,  but  bent  back  or  broken 
(re,  and  fractum)  at  the  point  where  it  enters  the  water. 

We  have  already  stated  that  the  great  object  to  be 
gained  in  lighthouse  illumination  is  this  very  refraction; 
that  is,  the  rays  of  the  lamp  must  be  refracted,  or  bent 
back,  so  as  to  strike  and  illuminate  the  sea. 


THE  ANNULAR  LENS. 


85 


Fresnel  saw  that  this  object  might  be  secured  by  the 
employment  of  lenses  to  intercept,  as  it  were,  and  refract 
the  rays  proceeding  from  the  lamp.  What  kind  of  lens 
possessed  the  greatest  power  of  refraction  ?  He  preferred 
the  plano-convex  lenses,  which,  instead  of  having  two  curve 
surfaces,  have  one  surface  a  curve,  and  the  other  a  plane. 
And  the  lens  thus  adopted  he  built  up  in  separate  pieces, 
for  the  still  greater  economization  and  intensity  of  light ; 


ANNULAR   LENS   OF  FIRST   ORDEK. 


and,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,  he  has  subdivided  with  so  much 
judgment  the  whole  surface  of  the  lens  into  a  centre  lens 
and  concentric  annular  bands,  and  has  so  carefully  deter- 
mined the  elements  of  curvature  for  each,  that  it  seems 
unlikely  any  improvement  will  soon  be  effected  in  their 
construction. 

The  central  disc  of  the  lens,  marked  B  in  the  accom- 
panying diagram — as  employed  in  lights  of  the  first  order 
— is  about  11  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  focus  distance 
equals  920  millimetres,  or  36.22  inches.  The  annular 
rings  surrounding  it  gradually  decrease  in  breadth  as  they 
recede  from  the  centre,  from  2|  to  1%  inches.  The  lens, 
we  should  add,  is  made  of  crown  glass. 


86  THE  DIOPTRIC  APPARATUS. 

A  lens  of  this  magnitude  costs  about  £60.  Its  weight 
is  about  109  Ibs.,  and  its  surface  consists  of  about  1300 
square  inches ;  but  though  composed  of  so  many  parts,  it 
is  held  together  simply  by  two  narrow  strips  of  polished 
glass,  united  by  a  thin  film  of  cement. 

The  following  illustration,  representing  a  segment  of 
the  profile  of  a  dioptric  apparatus,  will  give  the  reader  a 
sufficient  idea  of  the  manner  in  which  the  rays  proceeding 
from  the  focus  of  a  lamp  are  refracted  on  issuing  from  the 
lens ;  it  also  shows  the  central  disc,  and  the  rings  placed 
above  and  below  it. 

When  the  drum  is  circular  instead  of  being  polygonal, 
the  lenses  are  cylindrical  and  not  annular ;  the  luminous 
rays  are  uniformly  distributed  in  the  horizontal  plane,  and 
act — in  a  meridian  section — in  the  same  manner  as  those 
of  the  annular  lenses. 

Yet  there  is  something  more .  than  lenses  in  a  dioptric 
apparatus,  for  this  reason,  that  the  lamp  does  something 
more  than  illuminate  the  frame.  The  rays  streaming  be- 
low it  vainly  poured  their  light  at  tlie  loot  of  the 
tower,  and  those  which  rose  above  it  were  diifused  in  the 
upper  region  of  the  atmosphere,  and  consequently,  for  all 
purposes  of  marine  illumination,  would  have  been  useless, 
had  not  Fresnel  conceived  the  idea  of  collecting,  concen- 
trating, and  despatching  them  in  the  same  direction  as 
the  lenses  threw  the  others.  This  he  effected  by  means 
of  the  cylindrical  rings  of  glass  which,  above  and  beneath 
the  lenses,  cover  over  the  framework,  as  it  were,  or  make 
use  of  it  as  a  base,  in  expanding  themselves  as  they  ap- 
proach the  centre  of  the  apparatus. 


CA  TA  DIOPTRIC  RINGS.  87 

The  subjoined  illustration  represents  the  progress  of  a 
luminous  ray  in  one  of  the 
rings  of  glass,  technically 
termed  catadioptric  rings. 
Issuing  from  the  focus  F  at 
the  summit  of  the  angle 
formed  by  the  lines  Gr  and 
I,  it  is  refracted  at  A  in  the 
direction  A  B,  undergoes  a 
complete  reflection  on  the 

surface    M    N,    takes    the  »*-- 

direction  B  C,  and  finally 
emerges   from  the  ring;  in 

0  °  DIAGRAM,  ILLUSTRATING  THE  PROGRESS 

the  horizontal  line  C  H.  OF  A  LUMINOUS  RAY  IN  A  CATADIOP- 

At  this  solution  of  the  diffi- 
culty Fresnel  did  not  arrive  all  at  once,  owing  to  the 
absolute  want  of  workmen  suitable  for  carrying  out  the 
novel  industry  which  his  genius  had  cheated.  But  by 
degrees  these  were  trained  and  perfected ;  and  the  inventor 
had,  moreover,  the  good  fortune  of  discovering  in  an  able 
and  ingenious  optician,  M.  Soleil,  an  efficient  assistant  in 
the  construction  on  a  large  scale  of  the  novel  instrument 
he  required .  Afterwards  the  erection  of  lighthouses  becom- 
ing an  important  branch  of  industry,  he  completed  several 
edifices,  which  prospered  all  the  more  that  strangers  im- 
mediately gave  up  any  attempt  at  rivalry,  and  left  to  him 
the  work  of  supplying  every  maritime  nation  with  lenti- 
cular apparatus. 

Having  said  thus  much  of  the  central  lens  and  its  con- 
centric rings  of  glass,  a  few  words  become  necessary  in 


88  FEES  N  EL'S  LAMP. 

reference  to  the  lamp  which  feeds  them,  as  it  were,  with 
light.  Fresnel's  lamp  may  "be  shortly  described  as  con- 
taining four  concentric  burners,  which  are  defended  from 
the  excessive  heat  produced  by  their  own  combined  flames 
by  a  superabundant  supply  of  oil.  This  oil  is  pumped  up 
from  a  cistern  below  by  means  of  a  clockwork  movement, 
and  overflows  the  wicks  incessantly.  To  supply  fresh 
currents  of  air  to  each  wick  with  a  rapidity  sufficient  to 
support  the  combustion,  a  very  tall  chimney-tube  is  found 
requisite.  And  yet  the  wicks  do  not  carbonize  with  the 
extreme  speed  that  might  be  supposed.  It  is  even  found, 
we  are  told,  that  after  they  have  suffered  a  good  deal,  the 
flame  does  not  perceptibly  decrease,  because  the  intense 
heat  evolved  from  its  mass  encourages  the  rising  of  the 
oil  in  the  cotton.  Mr.  Stevenson  informs  us  that  he  has 
seen  the  large  lamp  in  the  Tour  de  Corduan  burn  for 
seven  hours,  and  yet  the  wicks  were  neither  snuffed  nor 
raised.  In  the  Scotch  lighthouses  a  full  flame  is  often 
maintained,  with  Colza  oil,  for  no  less  a  period  than 
seventeen  hours,  and  yet  the  lamp  is  untouched. 

The  only  risk  in  using  the  Fiesnel  lamp,  says  Mr. 
Stevenson,  arises  from  the  liability  to  occasional  derange- 
ment of  the  leathern  valves  that  force  up  the  oil  by 
means  of  clockwork.  Several  lights  on  the  French  coast, 
and,  more  especially,  the  Tour  de  Corduan,  have  been 
extinguished  by  the  failure  of  the  lamp  for  a  few  minutes ; 
an  accident  which  has  never  happened,  and  scarcely  can 
happen,  with  the  fountain  lamps  of  the  Catoptric 
system.  To  prevent  such  dangerous  mishaps,  which, 
under  some  circumstances,  might  entail  the  loss  of  a  "  tall 


IMPORTANT  PRECAUTIONS.  89 

ship,"  various  precautions  have  been  adopted.  The  most 
efficacious  seems  to  be  this  :  an  alarum  is  attached  to  the 
lamp,  consisting  of  a  small  cup  pierced  in  the  bottom, 
which  receives  a  portion  of  the  oil  overflowing  from  the 
wicks,  and  is  capable,  when  full,  of  balancing  a  weight 
placed  at  the  opposite  end  of  a  lever.  The  moment  the 
machinery  stops,  the  cup  ceases  to  receive  the  supply  of 
oil,  and  the  remainder  escaping  at  the  bottom,  the  equi- 
librium of  the  lever  is  destroyed  ;  it  falls,  and  disengages 
a  spring,  which  rings  a  bell  with  sufficient  force  to  arouse 
a  sleeping  keeper.  But,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,  shrewdly,  it 
may  justly  be  doubted  whether  such  an  arrangement  might 
not  actually  tempt  a  keeper  to  relax  in  his  vigilance,  and 
rely  on  the  alarum  to  waken  him  in  case  of  need.  In  all 
the  dioptric  lamps  on  the  British  coast,  therefore,  the  con- 
verse method  is  adopted  of  causing  the  bell  to  cease  when 
the  clockwork  stops. 

Another  and  more  important  precaution  consists  in 
keeping  always  at  hand,  in  the  light-room,  a  spare  lamp, 
trimmed,  and  adjusted  to  the  proper  height  for  the  focus, 
and  in  every  respect  ready  to  act  as  a  substitute  for  the 
other  if  any  accident  occurs. 

But  while  I  am  tracing  these  words,  I  read  that  experi- 
ments have  been  successfully  made  with  gas  for  the  illumi- 
nation of  the  lenticular  apparatus,  and  that,  if  it  will 
afford  a  steadier  and  fuller  light,  at  less  expense,  and  with 
no  risk  of  accident,  it  will  probably  be  adopted. 

To  continue  : — - 

Once  having  acquired  a  full  command  of  all  the  rays 
amplified  from  the  lamp,  the  next  desideratum  was  to 


90 


THE  FIXED  LIGHT. 


diversify  the  appearance  of  the  light  which  they  consti- 
tuted ;  for,  as  I  have  already  said,  it  is  not  enough  to 
stretch  a  belt  of  warning  fires  around  the  coast, — we  must 
take  care  that  each  shall  in  some  wise  be  distinguished 
from  the  other,  so  as  to  afford  the  navigator  a  clue  to  its 
particular  locality.  Hence  arose  the  division  into  fixed, 
revolving,  intermittent  lights,  and  so  on,  which  I  have 
already  described,  and  which  is  secured  in  the  following 
manner : — 

If  a  fixed  light  be  required,  the  apparatus  as  invented  by 
Fresnel  takes  the  form  of  an  annular  glass  frame  produced 
by  the  revolution  of  the  section  passing  through  the  centre 


FIIESNEL'S  REVOLVING  LIOHT. 


of  a  circular  lens,  and  reflecting  prisms  around  a  vertical 
elevated  on  the  principal  axis  of  this  section,  as  shown  in 
the  diagram. 


FRRSNEL'S  REVOLVING  APPARATUS. 


91 


For  revolving  apparatus,  Fresnel's  apparatus,  as  employed 
in  all  lighthouses  prior  to  the  introduction  of  the  holophotal 
arrangement,  consisted,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  diagram,  of 
annular  lenses,  L,  for  acting  on  the  central  part  of  the  light, 
while  the  upper  rays  were  refracted  by  inclined  hanging 
lenses,  a,  and  ultimately  reflected  into- the  proper  direction 
by  silvered  mirrors  marked  &,  placed  above.  The  lower 
rays  were  intercepted  by  fixed  light  prisms,  p  p  (which  did 
not  revolve),  and  which,  showing  a  fixed  light  all  round, 
were,  of  course,  of  very  inferior  power  to  the  solid  beams 
proceeding  from  the  large  lenses  L,  and  the  smaller  lenses 
and  mirrors  placed  above.  Strictly  speaking,  Fresnel's 
revolving  light  consisted  of  a  revolving  and  a  weak  fixed 
light.  As  the  frame  revolved  round  the  central  lamp,  the 
mariner  saw  the 
luminous  beam  when 
the  lenses  were  turned 
towards  him,  and  the 
number  of  flashes  de- 
pended on  the  quick- 
ness of  the  rotation. 

The  apparatus 
adopted  by  Fresnel 
for  the  fixed  light 
may  be  regarded  as 
perfect;  buthisrevo/v- 
ing  light  has  been  now 
superseded  by  the 
holophotal  apparatus  * 

Of  Mr.  Thomas   Ste-     STE™NSON'S  HOLOPHOTAL  REVOLVING  LIGHT. 

venson.     The  inclined   mirrors   and   lenses   employed  in 


92 


RECENT  IMPROVEMENTS. 


FresneFs  apparatus  are  done  away  with  in  Mr.  Stevenson's, 
shown  in  the  diagram,  in  which,  by  the  single  agency  of 
lenses,  L,  and  totally  reflecting  prisms,  p,  all  the  rays  are 
rendered  parallel.  In  this  form  the  whole  glass  frame,  con- 
sisting of  lenses  and  reflecting  prisms,  revolves  round  the 
central  lamp.  As  Fresnel's  lighthouse  prisms  only  gathered 
the  light  vertically,  they  could  not  produce  the  sheaf  of 
rays  required  for  the  revolving  light  unless  when  combined 
with  others  which  gathered  the  rays  horizontally.  The 
first  lighthouse  in  which  single  prisms  were  made  to  revolve 
was  the  Horsburgh  light,  near  Singapore,  the  apparatus  of 
which  was  designed  by  Mr.  Stevenson  in  1850.  In  this 
form  of  revolving  light  apparatus  the  prisms  are  generated 
about  a  horizontal  instead  of  a  vertical  axis,  as  in  fixed 
light.  The  forms  of  the  beams  of  light  issuing  forth  from 
Fresnel  and  Stevenson's  apparatus  are  shown  opposite 
to  the  diagram  of  each,  and 
marked  x,  y. 

In  France  there  is  frequently 
employed  what  Fresnel  called 
a  "fixed  light  varied  ~by  flashes." 
This  effect  is  produced,  as 
already  explained,  by  causing 
panels  of  glass,  curved  horizon- 
tally but  not  vertically,  to  re- 
Volve  outside  of  Fresnel's  fixed 
apparatus,  as  shown  in  the 
diagram.  The  ordinary  fixed 
apparatus  only  acts  in  the  verti- 
cal plane,  while  the  straight 

STEVENSON'S  FIXED  LIGHT  VARIED  11. 

panels  only  act  in  the  horizontal 


BY  FLASHES. 


FIXED  LIGHT  APPARATUS. 


93 


plane.  So  that  when  the  fixed  apparatus  is  alone  visible 
the  rays  are  only  gathered  from  the  vertical  plane,  and  the 
light  is  comparatively  weak ;  but  when  the  panels  come 


FRESNEL'S  FIXED  LIGHT 
APPARATUS. 


FRENCH   FORM   OF   APPARATUS   FOR   A 
FIXED   LIGHT   VARIED   BY   FLASHES. 


opposite  the  eye,  the  rays  are  gathered  from  both  planes 
into  one  powerful  beam,  as  in  a  revolving  light.  Here,  as 
in  the  former  case,  two  agents  are  employed,  causing  great 
loss  of  light  and  great  unnecessary  expense,  where  one, 


94  THE  IIOLOPIJOTAL  SYSTEM. 

if  of  the  proper  form,  is  sufficient.  Mr.  Stevenson's  modi- 
fication of  the  holophotal  arrangement  for  this  purpose  is 
shown  in  the  diagram.  It  consists  of  alternate  panels  of 
the  fixed  light  and  holophotal  apparatus ;  and  thus,  by 
single  agency,  a  weak  fixed  light  and  a  stronger  revolving 
light  are  shown  time-about  to  the  mariner,  which  is  the 
required  characteristic. 

If,  for  the  sake  of  further  diversity,  the  lights  are  to  be 
coloured,  we  content  ourselves  in  the  case  of  a  fixed  light, 
as  already  stated,  with  enclosing  the  flame  in  a  green  or 
red  tube.  In  the  French  eclipsing  apparatus,  polished 
sheets  of  coloured  glass  are  placed,  on  one  side  or  the  other, 
against  the  lenses  intended  to  emit  the  flashes  of  colour. 

While  doing  all  honour  to  Fresnel  and  his  great  inven- 
tion, we  must  not  forget  that  its  present  comparative 
perfection  is  due  to  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson,  whose 
improvements,  in  truth,  have  eventuated  in  almost  a 
new  system,  now  known  as  the  Holophotal,*  and  already 
partially  described.  By  a  peculiar  combination  of  diop- 
tric spherical  mirrors  and  other  apparatus,  it  also  suc- 
ceeds in  economizing  and  condensing  into  one  beam  the 
whole  of  the  rays  thrown  off  from  the  burners ;  but  I  fear 
that  any  explanation  of  it  which  could  here  be  attempted 
would,  from  its  necessary  introduction  of  technical  language, 
prove  unintelligible  to  the  non-scientific  reader. 

*  From  oAo?,  entire  ;  and  </>ws,  light. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  INTERIOR  OF  A  LIGHTHOUSE. 

|FTER  having  devoted  so  many  pages  to  what 
we  have  called — perhaps  somewhat  fancifully 
— the    soul   of    the    lighthouse,    it   becomes 
necessary  to  say  a  few  words  in  reference  to 
the  body  which  encases  it. 

In  building  up  this  body,  no  less  ingenuity  and  science 
have  been  displayed  than  in  perfecting  and  expanding  the 
light  which  gives  it  life  and  value.  Whether  the  light- 
house-tower is  situated  on  some  wave -washed  rock 
surrounded  by  a  hungry  sea,  or  on  the  summit  of  a 
conspicuous  headland,  the  highest  skill  is  exercised  upon 
its  construction,  and  it  becomes,  in  many  instances,  a 
monument  of  the  most  brilliant  architectural  genius.  Not, 
indeed,  that  it  exhibits  those  beautiful  features  of  clustered 
columns  and  lofty  arches,  or  that  elaboration  of  picturesque 
ornament,  which  delight  us  in  the  lordly  mansion  and  the 
ancient  cathedral ;  but  that  an  equal  perfection  of  art  is 
revealed  in  its  massive  simplicity  and  impregnable  solidity, 
and  in  its  admirable  adaptation  to  the  grand  purposes  for 
which  it  is  intended. 

(262)  7 


96  LA  WS  OF  CONST R  UCTION. 

Two  primary  conditions,  it  is  obvious,  must  always 
govern  the  construction  of  a  lighthouse :  it  must  be 
raised  to  an  elevation  suitable  for  the  full  display  of  its 
warning  radiance,  and  it  must  be  built  with  a  strength 
and  solidity  which  will  defy  the  assault  of  wind  or 
wave. 

So  far  as  the  first  condition  is  concerned,  the  proper 
height  of  a  lighthouse-tower  is  easily  ascertained,  when 
the  distance  is  determined  at  which  its  rays  should  be 
visible.  This  distance  will  necessarily  depend  on  the 
character  of  the  neighbouring  seas,  and  the  nature  of  the 
reef,  rock,  or  shallow  from  which  the  lighthouse  is  to 
warn  the  navigator ;  but,  once  determined,  the  elevation 
of  the  tower  will  easily  be  calculated  by  means  of  the 
known  relations  existing  between  the  form  of  the  earth, 
the  effects  of  atmospheric  refraction,  and  the  proper  height 
of  an  object  which  is  to  be  seen  from  a  given  distance. 
The  state  of  the  atmosphere  at  any  particular  point  is 
also  an  important  point  of  consideration.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  the  lighthouse,  when  erected  at  what  seems 
a  suitable  elevation,  may  be  rendered  useless  by  a  pre- 
valence at  that  elevation  of  dense  mists  and  heavy  fogs. 
In  1785,  the  Trinity  Board  commenced  the  erection  of  a 
lighthouse  on  the  summit  of  St.  Catherine's  Down,  in  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  and  from  so  lofty  an  altitude  it  might  well 
be  supposed  that  its  radiance  would  illuminate  the 
Channel  for  leagues  around.  But,  unfortunately,  the 
crest  of  St.  Catherine's  is,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year, 
enveloped  in  cloud  and  mist,  which  effectually  prevents 
the  escape  of  a  single  ray  of  light ;  and,  consequently,  the 
Trinity  Board  were  compelled  to  abandon  their  design. 


INTERNAL  ARRANGEMENTS.  97 

The  shell  of  the  building  still  crowns  the  bleak  sum- 
rait  of  the  down,  as  a  warning  to  future  lighthouse- 
builders. 

Still  more  recently,  the  lighthouse  on  the  Needles 
Down  (also  in  the  Isle  of  Wight),  which  for  years  had 
pointed  out  the  dangerous  character  of  the  western 
entrance  to  the  Solent,  has  been  abandoned  on  account  of 
the  mists  so  frequently  obscuring  its  lustre  ;  and  a  new 
lighthouse  has  been  erected  on  the  outermost  of  the 
celebrated  Needle  Rocks,  in  a  position  of  far  greater 
utility. 

The  question  regarding  the  interior  accommodation  of 
the  tower  must,  in  like  manner,  be  answered  by  the  nature 
of  the  locality  where  it  is  erected.  Where  it  is  easily  ac- 
cessible, and  its  stores  can  be  replenished  with  ease  at  very 
short  intervals,  obviously  the  interior  accommodation  may 
be  reduced  within  very  narrow  limits.  But  in  exposed 
situations,  as,  for  instance,  on  an  isolated  rock,  whose 
communication  with  the  mainland  may  be  cut  off  for 
weeks  at  a  time,  room  must  be  provided  for  ample 
supplies,  and  conveniences  for  the  keepers  must  be 
arranged  on  a  liberal  scale.  In  the  long  and  dreary 
nights  of  winter,  where,  in  the  northern  parts  of  Great 
Britain,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  the  light  burning  for  about 
seventeen  hours,  not  even  for  a  moment  is  it  left  without 
the  watchful  care  of  at  least  one  keeper  ;  and  thus,  as  he 
will  require  an  interval  of  repose,  its  superintendence  will 
occupy  two  persons ;  but  in  open,  exposed  places  like  the  Eddy- 
stone,  the  Bell  Rock,  the  Wolf,  and  the  Skerryvore,  where 
it  is  frequently  impossible  to  communicate  with  the  main- 
land for  three,  four,  and  even  six  weeks,  circumstances  have 


98  FORCE  OF  WIND  AND  WA  VE. 

rendered  it  desirable  that  there  should  not  be  fewer  than 
three  men  on  duty.  Hence,  sleeping  apartments  have  to 
be  provided,  as  well  as  receptacles  for  sufficient  supplies 
of  water,  food,  fuel,  and  other  matters. 

The  second  condition  to  which  we  have  adverted  is, 
that  the  building  shall  be  capable  of  resisting  the  force  of 
the  wind  and  waves.  The  wind  is  baffled  with  comparative 
ease,  but  the  sea  is  a  far  more  formidable,  and,  moreover, 
is  an  ever-present  foe.  Even  in  the  summer  months  the 
pressure  of  the  waves  is  very  considerable,  averaging,  perhaps, 
about  611  Ibs.  per  square  foot  of  surface  exposed  to  it.  In 
the  winter,  however,  the  average  rises  to  2086  Ibs.  per  square 
foot;  while,  during  stormy  weather,  the  force  has  amounted 
to  no  less  than  4335  Ibs.*  To  oppose  this  immense  pres- 
sure, not  only  must  the  masonry  be  of  the  solidest  descrip- 
tion, but  such  a  form  must  be'  given  to  the  building  as 
will  expose  that  masonry  to  the  least  possible  stress.  From 
various  experiments  it  has  been  found  that  the  most  effec- 
tive form  is  that  of  the  cylinder ;  and  with  certain  modi- 
fications, the  cylindrical  is  now  almost  universally  adopted 
in  the  erection  of  lighthouses.  Scienfifically  speaking, 
however,  it  is  not  so  much  a  cylinder  as  the  union  of 
frustra  of  different  cones,  with  a  curve  osculating  the  out- 
line of  the  successive  frustra.  To  the  youthful  reader  this 
may  not  be  very  intelligible,  and  we  will,  therefore,  refer 
him  to  the  form  of  the  Eddystone  as  an  illustration  of  what 
we  mean.  Smeaton  himself  relates  that  it  was  suggested 
to  him  by  the  trunk  of  an  oak,  but  there  seems  reason  to 

*  These  figures  are  the  results  of  experiments  made  with  an  instrument 
invented  by  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson,  and  called  the  Marine  Dynamometer. 


"INQUIRE  WITHIN"  99 

believe  that  this  was  an  after-thought,  intended  for  the 
benefit  of  the  large  class  of  minds  which  cannot  appreciate 
scientific  reasonings. 

Let  us  now  pass  into  the  interior  of  a  lighthouse,  and 
take  notice  of  its  general  arrangements. 

And,  first,  observe  the  massive  door  of  bronze  which 
opens  to  admit  us  into  the  lowermost  story.  Here  are 
collected  the  stores  of  wood,  cordage,  oil,  and  water ;  and 
here  too  is  placed  the  carpenter's  shop.  On  the  next 
story  we  find  the  kitchen  and  the  dining-room.  Then  we 
ascend  to  the  sleeping-rooms  of  the  three  keepers ;  they 
are  exquisitely  neat  and  clean,  but  in  other  respects  do 
not  call  for  notice.  On  the  highest  story  we  enter  that 
portion  of  the  structure  more  particularly  destined  for  the 
special  service  of  the  tower.  It  contains  numerous  vessels 
of  oil,  lenses,  lamps,  a  thermometer,  a  barometer,  and  a 
chronometer.  The  spiral  staircase  by  which  we  have 
hitherto  ascended  terminates  at  this  point,  and  to  reach 
the  lantern  we  must  climb  a  ladder  before  us.  Entering 
the  cupola,  which  enshrines  the  magic  light,  we  are  sur- 
prised by  its  exquisite  propriety  of  arrangement.  The  form 
of  the  lantern  is  light  and  graceful ;  and  to  avoid  the 
necessity  of  painting  it,  the  framework  is  made  of  gun 
metal,  and  the  dome  of  copper.  A  lantern  for  a  light  of 
the  first  order  is  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  and  its  glass  frames 
are  two  feet  high.  The  glazing  is  thick,  and  great  care 
is  exercised  in  fixing  it  that  the  plates  may  not  be  broken 
during  high  winds.  Panes  glazed  in  frames  padded  with 
cushions,  and  capable  of  being  temporarily  fixed  in  a  few 
minutes,  arealwayskept  readyfor  use  in  Scotland.  Theseare 


100 


THE  LANTERN. 


called  storm-panes.     The  total  cost  of  a  lantern  such  as  we 
have  been  describing  is  about  £1260. 


CUPOLA  OF  A  LIGHTHOUSE  OF  THE  FIRST  CLASS. 

To  secure  a  good  and  efficient  light  it  is  necessary  that 


A  SYSTEM  OF  VENTILATION.  101 

the  lantern  should  be  well  ventilated.  Otherwise  its  sides 
will  be  continually  covered  by  the  water  of  condensation 
produced  by  the  contact  of  the  ascending  current  of  heated 
air,  and  the  glass,  thus  obscured,  impedes  the  passage  of 
the  rays  and  diminishes  their  power.  To  prevent  such  an 
evil  an  excellent  system  of  mechanical  ventilation  was  de- 
vised by  the  late  Professor  Faraday. 

The  ventilating  pipe  or  chimney  is  a  copper  tube  four 
inches  in  diameter,  divided  into  three  or  four  lengths ;  the 
lower  end  of  each  for  about  an  inch  and  a  half  being  opened 
out  into  a  conical  form,  about  five  inches  and  a  half  in 
diameter  at  the  lowest  part.  When  the  chimney  is  put 
together,  the  upper  end  of  the  bottom  piece  is  inserted 
about  half  an  inch  into  the  cone  of  the  next  piece  above, 
and  fixed  there  by  three  ties  or  pins,  so  that  the  two 
pieces  are  firmly  held  together ;  but  there  is  still  plenty  of 
airway  or  entrance  into  the  chimney  between  them. 
The  same  arrangement  holds  good  with  each  succeeding 
piece.  When  the  ventilating  chimney  is  fixed  in  its  place, 
it  is  so  adjusted  that  the  lamp  chimney  enters  about  half 
an  inch  into  the  lower  cone,  and  the  top  of  the  ventilating 
chimney  into  the  cowl  or  head  of  the  lantern. 

With  this  arrangement  (I  use  the  Professor's  own  words) 
it  is  found  that  the  action  of  the  ventilating  flue  is  to 
carry  up  every  portion  of  the  products  of  combustion  into 
the  cowl ;  none  passes  by  the  cone  apertures  out  of  the 
flue  into  the  air  by  the  lantern,  but  a  portion  of  the  air 
passes  from  the  lantern  by  these  apertures  into  the  flue,  and 
so  the  lantern  itself  is  in  some  degree  ventilated. 

The  important  use  of  these  cone  apertures  is,  that  when 
a  sudden  gust  or  eddy  of  wind  strikes  into  the  cowl  of  the 


102  DUT\r  OF  A  LIGHTHOUSE-KEEPER. 

lantern,  it  should  not  have  any  effect  in  disturbing  or  alter- 
ing the  flame.  It  is  found  that  the  wind  may  blow  suddenly 
in  at  the  cowl,  and  the  effect  never  reaches  the  lamp.  The 
upper,  or  the  second,  or  the  third,  or  even  the  fourth  por- 
tion of  the  ventilating  flue  might  be  entirely  closed,  yet 
without  influencing  the  flame.  The  cone  junctions  in  no  way 
interfere  with  the  tube  in  carrying  up  all  the  products  of 
combustion;  but  if  any  downward  current  occurs,  they  dis- 
pose of  the  whole  of  it  into  the  room  without  ever  affecting 
the  lamp.  The  ventilating  flue  is,  in  fact,  a  tube  which, 
as  regards  the  lamp,  can  carry  everything  up  but  conveys 
nothing  down. 

The  British  lighthouses,  as  I  have  stated,  are  under  the 
charge  of  either  two  or  three  keepers,  whose  duties  are  to 
cleanse  and  prepare  the  apparatus  for  nocturnal  illumina- 
tion, and  to  mount  guard  alternately  after  the  light  is 
exhibited.  The  rule  is,  that  under  no  circumstance  shall 
the  keeper  on  duty  leave  the  light-room  until  relieved  by 
his  comrade;  and  that  no  pretence  may  exist  for  disobeying 
this  all-important  regulation,  the  dwelling-houses  are  in- 
variably built  in  immediate  proximity  to  the  light-tower, 
and  means  are  provided  for  signaling  directly  from  the 
light-room  to  the  sleeping  apartments  below. 

For  greater  security  in  all  such  exposed  situations  as 
the  Eddystone  or  the  Bell  Rock,/ow  keepers  are  provided 
for  one  light-room.  One  of  these  is  always  ashore,  on 
leave,  with  his  family,  and  the  other  three  are  on  guard 
in  the  lighthouse,  so  that,  in  the  case  of  the  illness  of  one 
light-keeper,  an  efficient  establishment  of  two  keepers  for 
watching  the  light  may  remain. 


SOME  INTERESTING  DETAILS.  103 

The  following  interesting  details  we  borrow  verbatim 
from  Mr.  Alan  Stevenson  :  * — 

Each  of  the  two  (or  three)  light-keepers  has  a  house  for 
himself  and  family,  both  being  under  a  common  roof,  but 
entering  by  separate  doors.  The  principal  keeper's  house 
consists  of  six  rooms,  two  of  which  are  at  the  disposal  of 
the  visiting  officers  of  the  Board,  whose  duty  in  inspecting 
the  lighthouse  or  superintending  repairs  may  call  them  to 
the  station  ;  and  the  assistant  has  four  rooms,  one  of  which 
is  used  as  a  barrack-room  for  the  workmen  who,  under 
the  direction  of  the  foreman  of  the  light-room  works, 
execute  the  annual  repairs  of  the  apparatus. 

The  greatest  care  must  be  bestowed  on  securing  the 
utmost  cleanliness  in  every  detail  connected  with  a  light- 
house, whose  optical  apparatus  is  peculiarly  sensitive  to 
the  effect  of  dust.  For  this  purpose  covered  ash-pits  are 
provided  at  all  the  dwelling-houses,  in  order  that  the 
refuse  of  the  fireplaces  may  not  be  carried  on  "the 
wings  of  the  wind  "  to  the  light-room ;  and,  for  similar 
reasons,  iron  floors  are  used  in  the  light-rooms  instead 
of  stone,  which  is  often  liable  to  abrasion,  and  all 
the  stonework  near  the  lantern  is  regularly  painted 
in  oil. 

If,  in  all  that  belongs  to  a  lighthouse,  the  greatest 
cleanliness  is  desirable,  it  is  in  a  still  higher  degree  neces- 
sary in  every  part  of  the  light-room  apparatus,  without 
which  the  optical  instruments  and  the  machinery  will 
neither  last  long  nor  work  well.  Every  part  of  the  ap- 
paratus, whether  lenses  or  reflectors,  should  be  carefully 
freed  from  dust  before  being  either  washed  or  burnished  ^ 

*  Alan  Stevenson,  "  On  Lighthouses,"  Weale's  Series,  pp.  169,  170. 


104  CLEANING  THE  REFLECTOR. 

and  without  such  a  precaution  the  cleansing  process  would 
only  serve  to  scratch  them. 

For  burnishing  the  reflectors,  prepared  rouge  (tritoxide 
of  iron)  of  the  finest  description,  which  should  be  prepared 
in  the  state  of  an  impalpable  powder  of  a  deep  orange-red 
colour,  is  applied  by  means  of  soft  chamois  skins,  as  occasion 
may  require ;  but  the  great  art  of  keeping  reflectors  clean 
consists  in  the  daily  patient  and  skilful  application  of 
manual  labour  in  rubbing  the  surface  of  the  instrument 
with  a  perfectly  dry,  soft,  and  clean  skin,  without  rouge. 
The  form  of  the  hollow  paraboloid  is  such  that  some  prac- 
tice is  necessary  in  order  to  acquire  a  free  movement  of  the 
hand  in  rubbing  reflectors;  and  its  attainment  forms  one  of 
the  principal  lessons  in  the  course  of  the  preliminary  in- 
struction to  which  candidates  for  the  situation  of  a 
lighthouse-keeper  are  subjected.  For  cleansing  the  lenses 
and  glass-mirrors  spirit  of  wine  is  used.  Having  washed 
the  surface  of  the  instrument  with  a  linen  cloth  steeped 
in  spirit  of  wine,  it  is  carefully  dried  with  a  soft  and  dry 
linen  rubber,  and  finally  rubbed  with  a  fine  chamois  skin 
free  from  any  dust,  which  would  injure  the  polish  of  the 
glass,  as  well  as  from  grease.  It  is  sometimes  necessary  to 
use  a  little  fine  rouge  with  a  chamois  skin  for  restoring 
any  deficiency  of  polish  which  may  occur  from  time  to 
time ;  but  in  a  well-managed  lighthouse  this  application 
will  seldom,  if  ever,  be  required. 

Before  we  quit  this  subject,  it  may  interest  the  reader 
to  be  informed  that  the  glass  of  the  lantern  is  frequently 
broken,  not  by  wind  and  wave,  but  by  the  sea-birds 
which  dash  violently  against  it.  In  a  single  night  at 


LI  VING  SIGN  A  LS.  107 

Cape  do  Brehat  nine  panes  were  shattered  from  this  cause. 
At  the  lighthouse  of  Brehat  a  wild  duck  forced  its  way 
through  two  rows  of  mirrors  and  fell  upon  the  lamp.  A 
thousand  of  these  birds  were  on  one  occasion  caught  by 
the  crew  of  a  British  lightship,  who  made  them  into  a 
gigantic  pie.  It  is  necessary  to  defend  with  trellis- work 
the  lights  most  exposed  to  visits  of  this  kind. 

Fortunately,  all  sea-birds  are  not  so  dangerous.  Some 
of  them  even  render  to  the  navigator  a  service  like  that 
which  the  goose  of  the  capitol,  according  to  Livy,  once 
rendered  to  the  Romans.  At  the  South  Stock  lighthouse, 
near  Holyhead,  which  is  situated  in  the  middle  of  an 
islet,  tamed  sea-birds  are  made  use  of  as  signals.  The 
gulls  perch  on  the  lighthouse  walls  and  utter  loud  cries, 
which  wave  off  approaching  seamen.  This  lighthouse 
possesses  a  bell  and  a  cannon,  but  the  natural  signal  has 
been  esteemed  so  superior  that  the  cannon  has  been  re- 
moved to  a  distance  from  the  rock,  lest  its  discharge  should 
alarm  the  birds.  The  young  gulls  roam  about  the  island 
among  the  white  rabbits,  living  in  perfect  harmony  with 
them,  and  providing  the  keepers  with  society ;  a  pleasanter 
society  than  that  of  the  wind  and  waves  which  incessantly 
vent  their  fury  on  the  solitary  pharos. 


BOOK    III. 

LIGHTHOUSES  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  STORY  OF  THE  EDDYSTONE  :    A.D.  1696,  1706,  1759. 

[|HE  first  lighthouse  of  a  regular  character  erected 
on  the  shores  of  England  seems  to  have  been 
that  of  Lowestoft,  in  1609.  Among  its  suc- 
cessors we  may  refer  to  those  of  Hunstanton 
Point,  1665,  and  of  the  Scilly  Islands,  1680.  To  the 
same  epoch  belong  the  lighthouses  of  Dungeuess,  Orford- 
ness,  and  the  Eddystone ;  the  latter  being  the  most  im- 
portant, the  most  remarkable,  and  the  most  interesting, 
as,  I  think,  the  following  brief  narrative  will  not  fail  to 
show. 

The  Eddystone  is  the  name  of  the  highest  summit  of  a 
reef  of  rocks  which  lie  in  deep  water  about  fourteen  miles 
to  the  south-west  of  Plymouth  harbour.  As  they  are  in 
a  line  with  Lizard  Head,  in  Cornwall,  and  Start  Point,  in 


HENRY  WINSTANLEY.  109 

Devonshire,  they  are  not  only  in  the  track  of  vessels 
bound  for  the  great  Devonian  seaport,  but  of  vessels  coast- 
ing up  and  down  the  English  Channel.  At  high  water 
they  are  barely  visible,  and  their  position  could  only  be 
told  by  the  waves  which  eddy  and  seethe  above  them ;  at 
low  water  several  low,  broken,  and  dismal-looking  ridges 
of  gneiss  become  conspicuous.  When  the  wind  blows  from 
the  south-west,  they  are  the  centre  of  "  a  hell  of  waters," 
and  no  ship  involved  in  the  vortex  could  hope  to  escape 
destruction. 

It  may  readily  be  conceived  that  so  perilous  a  reef, 
when  unprotected  by  any  beacon,  was  a  source  of  deep 
alarm  to  the  mariner,  who,  to  give  it  the  widest  possible 
berth,  was  accustomed  to  enter  the  Channel  in  a  much 
more  southerly  latitude  than  is  now  done.  But  in  avoid- 
ing Scylla  he  often  fell  into  Charybdis,  and  hence  the 
numerous  wrecks  which  occurred  on  the  French  coast,  and 
more  particularly  upon  the  dangerous  rocks  surrounding 
the  islands  of  Jersey,  Guernsey,  and  Alderney. 

The  erection  of  a  lighthouse  upon  the  Eddystone  was, 
therefore,  a  matter  of  national  concern ;  yet  no  one  could 
be  found  to  undertake  a  task  whose  accomplishment  nature 
seemed  to  have  rendered  impossible,  until  Henry  Win- 
stanley,  a  country  gentleman  of  Littleberry,  in  Essex, 
chivalrously  came  forward  in  the  year  1696,  and  having 
obtained  the  necessary  legal  powers,  proceeded  to  carry 
his  design  into  execution.  This  same  Winstanley  was 
one  of  those  eccentric  geniuses  who  find  a  pleasure  in 
mystifying  their  friends,  and  in  investing  their  daily  life 
with  an  air  of  legerdemain.  He  adapted  science  to 
practical  jokes  with  an  ingenuity  which,  we  think,  has  never 


110  AN  ECCENTRIC  MECHANICIAN. 

been  surpassed.  If  a  guest  in  his  bedroom  kicked  an  old 
slipper  out  of  his  way,  immediately  a  ghost  started  from 
the  floor.  If,  in  another,  he  threw  himself  into  a  chair, 
it  suddenly  flung  out  its  two  arms,  and  held  him  fast  as  a 
prisoner.  Or  if  in  the  garden  he  retired  into  an  arbour, 
and  rested  on  a  particular  seat,  he  was  straightway  set 
afloat  in  the  middle  of  the  adjoining  canal. 

To  the  native  eccentricity  of  the  man,  it  has  been  justly 
remarked,  may  be  ascribed  the  fantastical  character  of  the 
first  Eddystone  Lighthouse.  Its  erection  was  begun  in 
1696.  The  first  summer— and  it  was  only  in  summer  the 
work  could  be  carried  on — was  occupied  in  making  twelve 
holes  in  the  rock,  and  fastening  as  many  irons  in  them,  to 
serve  as  the  superstructure.*  The  task  progressed  but 
slowly,  for,  as  Winstanley  himself  relates,  though  it  was 
summer,  the  weather  would  at  times  prove  of  such  terrible 
violence,  that  for  ten  or  fourteen  days  together  the  sea 
would  so  rage  about  therocks — agitated  by  out- winds  and 
the  inrush  of  the  ground-swell  from  the  main  ocean — as  to 
mount  and  leap  upwards  some  two  hundred  feet,  com- 
pletely burying  the  works,  and  preventing  all  approach  to 
them. 

The  second  summer  was  spent  in  constructing  a  solid 
round  pillar  twelve  feet  high  and  fourteen  feet  in  diameter. 
In  the  third  year  the  pillar  was  enlarged  two  feet  at  th& 
base,  and  the  edifice  carried  up  to  a  height  of  sixty  feet. 
"  Being  all  finished/'  says  the  engineer,  "  with  the  lantern, 
and  all  the  rooms  that  were  in  it,  we  ventured  to  lodge 

*  "Smeaton  and  Lighthouses"  (ed.  1844),  pp.  24,  25  ;  Smiles,  "  Lives  of  the 
Engineers,"  ii.  17. 


WINSTA N LEY'S  LIGUTHOUSK. 


111 


WIVSTANLEY'S    LIGHTHOUSE   AT   THE   EDDYSTONK. 


there  soon  after  midsummer,  for  the  greater   dispatch  of 

(262)  8 


112  THE  TASK  COMPLETED. 

the  work.  But  the  first  night  the  weather  came  bad,  and 
so  continued,  that  it  was  eleven  days  before  any  boats 
could  come  near  us  again ;  and  not  being  acquainted  with 
the  height  of  the  sea's  rising,  we  were  almost  drowned 
with  wet,  and  our  provisions  in  as  bad  a  condition,  though 
we  worked  night  and  day  as  much  as  possible  to  make 
shelter  for  ourselves.  In  this  storm  we  lost  some  of  our 
materials,  although  we  did  what  we  could  to  save  them ; 
but  the  boat  then  returning,  we  all  left  the  house  to  be 
refreshed  on  shore :  and  as  soon  as  the  weather  did  permit 
we  returned  and  finished  all,  and  put  up  the  light  on  the 
14th  November  1698  ;  which  being  so  late  in  the  year,  it 
was  three  days  before  Christmas  before  we  had  relief  to 
go  on  shore  again,  and  were  almost  at  the  last  extremity 
for  want  of  provisions  ;  but,  by  good  Providence,  then  two 
boats  came  with  provisions  and  the  family  that  was*  to 
take  care  of  the  light;  and  so  ended  this  year's  work." 

The  fourth  year  was  devoted  to  strengthening  the 
foundations  and  enlarging  the  structure,  which,  when 
completed,  resembled  nothing  so  much  as  "  a  Chinese 
pagoda,  with  open  galleries  and  fantastic  projections." 
The  gallery  around  the  lantern  was  so  wide  and  open,  that 
it  was  possible,  when  the  sea  ran  high,  for  a  six-oared 
boat  to  be  lifted  by  the  waves  and  driven  through  it. 
Such  an  edifice  could  not  long  resist  the  fury  of  the  waters 
or  the  violence  of  the  gale;  but,  at  least,  it  served  to  prove 
that  a  lighthouse  could  be  erected  on  the  rock,  and  its 
achievement  was  one  of  the  most  laudable  enterprises 
which  any  heroic  mind  could  undertake,  for  it  filled  the 
breast  of  the  mariner  with  new  hope. 

Winstanley  was  proud  of  his  work,  and  so  convinced, 


THE  LIGHTHOUSE  SWEPT  A  WA  Y.  113 

it  is  said,  of  its  entire  solidity,  that  he  expressed  a  wish 
to  be  beneath  its  roof  in  the  greatest  storm  that  ever  blew 
under  the  face  of  heaven,  convinced  that  it  could  not  shake 
one  joist  or  beam.  He  had  his  presumptuous  wish  ful- 
filled. With  his  workmen  and  keepers  he  had  taken  up 
his  abode  in  the  lighthouse,  when  a  terrible  gale  blew  up, 
and  on  the  26th  of  November  attained  to  an  unparalleled 
excess  of  fury.  In  truth,  it  was  of  so  frightful  a  character 
that  contemporary  annals  vividly  record  its  destructive 
effects,  and  the  alarm  it  produced. 

All  through  that  memorable  night  the  tempest  raged. 
As  soon  as  morning  came  the  people  of  Plymouth  has- 
tened to  the  beach,  and  turned  their  gaze  instinctively 
towards  the  Eddystone.  But  no  structure  crowned  the 
rock,  over  which  the  waves  were  tossing  and  swirling  all 
unchecked.  The  lighthouse  was  swept  away,  and  no 
vestiges  remained  of  its  adventurous  occupants. 

The  question  now  arose,  Who  was  to  rebuild  the  light- 
house ?  Three  years  passed  before  it  was  answered ;  and 
then  the  task  was  taken  up  by  one  Captain  Lovet,  who 
obtained  a  ninety-nine  years'  lease  from  the  Trinity  Cor- 
poration, and  immediately  engaged  as  his  architect  a  silk- 
mercer  on  Ludgate  Hill,  named  John  Kudyerd.  What 
reasons  guided  Lovet  in  his  curious  choice  we  cannot 
ascertain  ;  probably  Rudyerd  had  given  some  signal  proofs 
of  mechanical  ingenuity;  but,  at  all  events,  the  choice 
proved  a  felicitous  one.  Rudyerd  submitted  for  the  new 
building  an  elegant  and  admirable  design ;  instead  of  a 
polygon,  he  chose  a  circle  for  the  outline,  and  instead  of 
the  projections  and  ornaments  with  which  Winstanley  had 


114  RUDYERD'S  LIGHTHOUSE. 

arrested  every  breeze  that  blew,  he  studied  the  utmost  sim- 
plicity, so  as  to  offer  wind  or  wave  the  slightest  possible 
resistance. 

He  secured  the  foundation  with  the  utmost  care.  He 
divided  the  irregular  surface  of  the  rock  into  seven  rather 
unequal  stages,  and  cut  thirty-six  holes  in  these,  to  the 
depth  of  from  twenty  to  thirty  inches.  These  holes  were 
six  inches  square  at  the  top,  gradually  narrowing  to  five 
inches,  and  then  again  expanding  and  flattening  to  nine 
inches  by  three  at  the  bottom.  Into  these  dove- tailed 
holes  strong  iron  bolts  or  branches  were  keyed ;  each  bolt 
being  fitted  exactly  in  size  to  the  hole  it  was  intended  to 
fill,  and  weighing  from  two  to  five  hundredweight,  accord- 
ing to  its  length  and  structure. 

The  bolts  made  fast>  Rudyerd  proceeded  to  fix  a  course 
of  squared  oak  timbers  lengthwise  upon  the  lowest  step,  so 
as  to  reach  the  level  of  the  step  above.  Another  set  of 
timbers  were  then  laid  crosswise,  so  as  to  cover  those 
already  laid,  and  to  raise  the  level  surface  to  the  height  of 
the  third  stage.  The  third  structure  was  again  laid 
lengthwise,  the  fourth  crosswise,  and  so  on,  alternately, 
until  a  basement  of  solid  wood  was  secured,  two  courses 
higher  than  the  highest  point  of  the  rock  ;  all  being  fitted 
together  and  to  the  rock,  by  means  of  the  bolts,  as  firmly 
as  possible,  and  all,  in  their  intersections  with  one  another, 
being  closely  trenailed. 

The  bolts  originally  let  into  the  solid  rock  were  per- 
forated in  their  upper  parts — some  with  three,  and  some 
with  four  holes ;  so  that  in  every  pair,  collectively  called 
a  branch,  there  would  be  about  seven  holes.  As  the 
branches  numbered  thirty-six,  there  would  be  252  holes, 


AN  HISTORICAL  ANECDOTE.  115 

each  about  seven- eighths  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  con- 
sequently as  many  large  "  bearded  spikes  "  or  "  jag-bolts," 
which,  being  driven  through  the  branches  into  the  solid 
timber,  held  the  mass  firmly  down. 

Rudyerd's  lighthouse  is  generally  described  as  a  timber 
edifice.  This  is  not  correct.  Knowing  that  weight  is 
best  resisted  and  counteracted  by  weight,  and  to  insure  a 
sufficient  amount  of  resistance,  he  combined  with  his 
courses  of  timber  solid  courses  of  Cornish  granite,  in  this 
manner :  the  foundation  was  of  oak  for  two  courses ;  then 
came  five  courses  of  stone,  each  a  foot  in  thickness,  kept 
together  by  iron  cramps ;  and  then  two  courses  more  of 
timber.  Thus  was  completed  the  basement. 

The  remainder  of  the  edifice,  which  rose  to  an  elevation 
of  69  feet,  on  a  base  of  23  feet,  was  built  of  timber.  The 
interior  consisted  of  four  rooms,  one  above  the  other;  and 
above  the  topmost  was  the  lantern  —  an  octagon  of 
10  feet  6  inches  in  diameter,  crowned  by  a  ball  of  2  feet 
3  inches  in  diameter.  The  whole  height  of  the  lighthouse, 
from  the  lowest  side  of  the  rock  to  the  top  of  the  ball, 
was  92  feet.  It  was  completely  finished  in  1709. 

In  connection  with  this  ingenious  structure  an  anecdote 
is  always  related,  illustrative  of  the  kindly  feeling  which 
Louis  XIV.  occasionally  exhibited.  There  was  war  at 
the  time  between  England  and  France,  and  a  French  pri- 
vateer seized  the  opportunity  of  carrying  off  the  workmen 
employed  in  building  the  lighthouse  as  prisoners.  As 
soon  as  their  capture  was  made  known  to  the  king,  he 
ordered  their  immediate  release,  and  that  they  should  be 
sent  back  to  their  work,  with  some  presents  to  compensate 


116  AN  ALARM  OF  FIRE. 

for  their  detention.  "  Though  at  war  with  England,"  said 
the  king,  "  I  am  not  at  war  with  mankind."  The  Eddy- 
stone  lighthouse  is  so  situated  as  to  he  of  equal  service 
to  all  nations  having  occasion  to  navigate  the  Channel  that 
separates  France  from  England. 

Yet  another  anecdote  :  Some  visitors  to  the  lighthouse, 
after  inspecting  its  internal  arrangements,  ohserved  to  one 
of  the  keepers  that  he  thought  it  quite  possible  to  live 
very  comfortably  in  its  quiet  seclusion.  "  That  might  be," 
said  the  man,  "  if  we  had  but  the  use  of  our  tongues ;  but 
it  is  now  fully  a  month  since  my  partner  and  I  have  spoken 
to  each  other." 

Rudyerd's  lighthouse  continued  to  brave  "  the  ele- 
mental fury/*  and  warn  the  seamen  from  the  fatal  rocks, 
until  the  2nd  of  December  1755,  when  it  fell  before  a  most 
unexpected  enemy.  Through  some  unknown  cause  the 
building  caught  fire.  Three  keepers  at  the  time  were 
within  the  lighthouse ;  and  when  one  of  them,  whose 
turn  it  was  to  watch,  entered  the  lantern,  at  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  to  snuff  the  candles,  he  discovered 
it  to  be  filled  with  smoke,*  and  on  his  opening  the  door 
which  led  to  the  balcony,  a  flame  instantly  burst  from  the 
inside  of  the  cupola.  He  hastened  to  alarm  his  com- 
panions, and  they  used  every  exertion  to  extinguish  the 
fire ;  but,  owing  to  the  difficulty  of  raising  a  sufficient 
supply  of  water  to  the  top  of  the  building,  and  the  dry- 
ness  of  the  internal  timber,  they  soon  found  their  efforts 

*  It  is  obvious  that  this  could  never  have  happened  had  the  modern  regula- 
tion been  in  force  which  forbids  the  lantern,  after  the  light  is  once  exhibited, 
being  left  without  the  presence  of  a  keeper. 


THE  LIGHTHOUSE  DESTROYED.  117 

vain,  and  as  the  fire  increased  in  force,  were  compelled  to 
retreat  downwards  from  stage  to  stage. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  fire  was  descried  by  some 
fishermen,  who  carried  the  news  ashore,  and  a  well-manned 
boat  was  immediately  dispatched  to  the  relief  of  the  poor 
keepers. 

It  reached  the  Eddystone  at  ten  o'clock,  when  the  fire 
had  been  burning  eight  hours.  The  light-keepers  had 
been  driven  from  the  building  to  avoid  the  falling  beams, 
and  molten  lead  and  red-hot  iron ;  and  were  found,  stupe- 
fled  with  terror,  in  a  cave  on  the  east  side  of  the  rock. 
With  difficulty  they  were  removed  into  the  boat,  and  car- 
ried ashore.  No  sooner  were  they  landed  than  one  of 
them,  strange  to  say,  immediately  made  off,  and  was  never 
afterwards  heard  of.  So  singular  a  circumstance  naturally 
engendered  a  suspicion  that  he  had  originated  the  fire ; 
but  when*  we  remember  that  a  lighthouse  affords  no 
means  of  retreat  for  its  inmates,  and  that  the  probability 
is  they  will  perish  with  it,  we  can  barely  believe  it  to  be 
the  place  which  an  incendiary  would  choose  for  his  ne- 
farious design.  As  Smeaton  says,  we  would  rather  impute 
the  man's  sudden  flight  to  that  kind  of  panic  which  some- 
times, on  important  occasions,  overpowers  a  weak  mind ; 
making  it  act  without  reason,  and  influencing  it  to  com- 
mit unwittingly  the  most  preposterous  and  injurious 
mistakes. 

Of  the  other  two  light-keepers,  one,  named  Henry  Hall, 
met  his  death  in  an  extraordinary  manner.  While  engaged 
in  throwing  some  buckets  of  water  on  the  flaming  roof  of 
the  cupola,  he  happened  to  look  upwards,  and  a  quantity 
of  lead,  melted  by  the  heat,  descended  suddenly  from  the 


118  A  DEAD  COMRADE. 

roof,  and  fell  on  his  head,  face,  and  shoulders,  burning  him 
severely.  His  mouth  was  open  at  the  time,  and  he  per- 
sisted in  declaring  that  a  portion  of  the  lead  had  gone 
down  his  throat.  The  medical  practitioner  who  attended 
him  after  his  removal  ashore  not  unnaturally  regarded  the 
story  as  incredible  ;  but  the  man  continued  to  grow  worse, 
and  on  the  twelfth  day  of  his  illness,  after  some  violent 
spasms,  expired.  A  post-mortem  examination  of  his  body 
was  then  made,  and  the  poor  man's  assertion  found  to  be 
literally  true,  for  in  the  stomach  lay  a  flat  oval  piece  of 
lead  seven  ounces  and  five  drachms  in  weight. 

Before  we  quit  the  subject  of  Rudyerd's  Lighthouse, 
we  must  refer  to  another  romantic  narrative  of  which  it 
was  the  scene. 

For  some  years  after  its  establishment  it  was  attended 
by  two  custodians  only,  whose  duty  it  was  to  keep  the 
windows  of  the  lantern  clean,  and  who  were  on  guard  for 
four  hours  alternately.  Each  at  the  conclusion  of  his  watch 
was  bound  to  call  the  other,  and  before  he  retired,  to  see 
that  his  successor  took  up  his  proper  post.  It  happened, 
however,  that,  on  one  occasion,  when  the  keeper  on  duty 
went  to  call  his  colleague,  he  found  him — dead.  Immedi- 
ately he  hoisted  his  flag  on  the  balcony,  from  whence  it 
was  visible  at  the  Rame  Head,  near  Plymouth,  and 
waited  eagerly  for  the  assistance  this  signal  usually 
brought.  Unhappily,  the  weather  became  so  boisterous 
that  no  boat  could  put  out  from  the  shore,  and  the  lonely 
keeper  was  reduced  to  the  miserable  companionship  of  a 
dead  body.  It  is  difficult  to  conceive  of  any  situation 
more  wretched  or  alarming ;  he  dared  not  dispose  of  the 


JOHN  SMEA  TON.  119 

corpse ;  for  if  he  flung  it  into  the  waves — his  only  means 
of  getting  rid  of  it — he  justly  feared  that  he  might  be 
charged  with  the  murder  of  his  companion ;  and  yet,  each 
day  that  it  remained,  his  own  life  was  endangered  by  its 
extremely  offensive  condition.  For  nearly  a  month  this 
long  agony  lasted.  When,  at  last,  a  boat  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  rock,  the  building  was  found  to  be  filled 
with  an  intolerable  odour,  and  the  corpse  in  such  a  condi- 
tion that  it  was  impossible  to  remove  it  to  Plymouth  for 
interment ;  it  was  therefore  consigned  to  the  deep. 

This  incident  led  to  the  employment  thenceforward  of 
three  keepers,  so  that  in  case  one  of  them  died,  or  was 
sick,  there  might  always  be  two  on  duty. 

The  value  of  a  lighthouse  on  the  Eddystone  had  been 
so  abundantly  proved,  and,  owing  to  the  rapidly  increas- 
ing commerce  of  the  kingdom,  its  necessity  was  now  so 
absolute,  that  the  authorities  resolved  to  lose  no  time  in 
erecting  a  new  one  in  the  place  of  Rudyerd's  unfortunate 
structure. 

As  on  the  two  previous  occasions,  says  Mr.  Smiles,  when, 
first,  a  country  gentleman,  and,  next,  a  London  mercer, 
had  been  called  upon  to  undertake  this  difficult  work,  the 
person  now  appointed  was  neither  a  builder,  an  architect, 
nor  an  engineer,  but  a  mathematical  instrument  maker. 
John  Smeaton,  however — to  whom  the  difficult  task  was 
entrusted — had  already  given  proof  of  a  signal  capacity  for 
mechanics,  and  in  the  general  estimation  of  scientific  men 
no  better  or  more  fortunate  selection  could  possibly  have 
been  made. 

At  this  time  Smeaton  was  only  thirty-two  years  of  age, 


120  HE  WOULD  NOT  BE  A  GENTLEMAN. 

having  been  born  at  Ansthorpe  Lodge,  near  Leeds,  on  the 
8th  of  June  1724.  His  father  was  a  respectable  attorney, 
but,  from  his  earliest  youth,  John  Smeaton  had  exhibited 
a  natural  predisposition  for  the  engineer's  business.  In 
truth,  he  was  a  mechanic  born ;  in  his  childhood  his  play- 
things were  mechanical  tools ;  and  before  his  sixth  year  he 
had  designed  a  windmill  and  the  model  of  a  pump.  He 
was  sent  to  school  at  Leeds,  but  seems  to  have  made  no 
progress  in  any  other  branches  than  geometry  and  arith- 
metic. He  occupied  his  holidays  with  mechanical  pursuits, 
and  on  one  occasion  constructed  a  forcing-pump,  which- 
exhausted  all  the  water  in  his  father's  fish-pond.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen  he  was  an  adept  at  smithery  and  turnery. 
He  forged  his  iron  and  steel,  and  melted  his  metal.  Tools 
had  he  in  abundance,  and  of  every  kind,  for  working  in 
metals,  wood,  or  ivory.  What  was  to  be  done  with  such 
a  lad  ?  His  father  wished  him  to  be  a  "  gentleman,"  and 
follow  his  own  profession  ;  Smeaton  was  content  to  become 
an  "  operative/'  and  apprenticed  himself  to  a  mathemati- 
cal instrument  maker.  He  soon  attained  to  such  profi- 
ciefccy,  that,  in  1750,  he  commenced  business  on  his  own 
account.  In  1751  he  invented  a  machine  to  measure  a 
ship's  way  at  sea,  as  also  a  compass  of  peculiar  construc- 
tion. Enlarging  the  range  of  his  studies,  he  submitted 
to  the  Royal  Society,  in  1752,  some  improvements  which 
he  had  contrived  in  the  air-pump,  and  experiments  on  the 
natural  power  of  water  and  wind  to  turn  mills  and  other 
machines  dependent  on  circular  motion. 

Such  was  the  man — ingenious,  able,  earnest,  patient, 
and  persevering — to  whom  was  entrusted  the  erection  of 
the  third  lighthouse  upon  the  Eddy  stone  rock. 


A  NE  W  LIGHT  HO  USE.  1 2 1 

On  examining  into  the  nature  of  the  work  he  was  re- 
quired to  undertake,  his  first  conclusion  was,  that  both 
Winstanley's  and  Rudyerd's  lighthouses  had  been  defi- 
cient in  want  of  weight,  and  he  announced  it  as  his  inten- 
tion to  build  a  structure  of  such  solidity  that  the  sea 
should  give  way  to  the  lighthouse,  and  not  the  light- 
house to  the  sea.  He  therefore  resolved  to  build  it  of 
stone. 

His  predecessors  had  lost  much  valuable  time  from  the 
difficulty  of  landing  on  the  rock,  and  of  working  on  it 
continuously  for  any  considerable  period.  To  obviate  this, 
Smeaton  decided  on  mooring  a  vessel  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  of  it,  which  should  accommodate  the  workmen  and 
their  tools,  and  enable  them  to  seize  every  favourable  op- 
portunity of  putting  out  their  boat  and  carrying  their 
materials  to  the  Eddystone,  instead  of  making  a  long 
voyage  from  Plymouth  on  each  occasion. 

With  respect  to  the  form  of  his  intended  erection,  he 
resolved  to  adopt  Rudyerd's  idea  of  a  cone,  but  to  en- 
large the  diameter  considerably,  and,  on  the  whole,  to 
keep  before  him  as  a  model  the  trunk  of  a  stately  oak 
tree.* 

The  first  actual  work  done  on  the  rock  was  in  August 
1756,  but  the  autumn  was  mainly  occupied  in  the  trans- 
portation and  preparation  of  the  granite  and  other  mate- 
rials, and  in  excavating  the  steps  or  stages  for  the  reception 
of  the  foundation. 

Early  in  June  1757  Smeaton  resumed  his  task  with 

*  This  is  Smeaton 's  own  statement,  but  the  reader  is  referred,  for  Mr. 
Alan  Stevenson's  view  of  it,  to  p.  98. 


122  LA  YING  THE  FOUND  A  TION. 

great  energy  and  decision.  On  the  12th,  the  first  stone 
was  laid,  weighing  two  tons  and  a  quarter.  On  the  next 
day  the  first  course  was  finished,  consisting  of  four  stones. 
These  were  ingeniously  dove-tailed  together,  and  into  the 
rock,  so  as  to  form  a  compact  mass,  from  which  it  was  im- 
possible to  separate  any  particular  stone.  The  sloping 
form  of  the  rock,  remarks  Mr.  Smiles,*  to  which  the  foun- 
dation of  the  building  was  adapted,  required  but  this 
small  number  of  stones  for  the  first  course ;  the  diameter 
of  the  building  increasing  until  it  reached  the  level  of  the 
rock.  Then  the  second  course,  completed  on  the  30th  of 
June,  consisted  of  thirteen  stones ;  the  third,  completed 
on  the  llth  of  July,  of  twenty-five  pieces;  the  fourth,  on 
the  31st,  of  thirty-three.  The  sixth  course  was  finished 
on  the  llth  of  August,  and  rose  above  the  general  wash 
of  the  tide,  so  that  Smeaton  might  fairly  consider  he  had 
surmounted  the  greatest  difficulties  of  his  task. 

Up  to  this  level,  the  highest  point  of  the  rock,  all  the 
courses  had  been  begun  by  the  stones  that  were  securely 
dove-tailed  into  the  rock,  and  also  made  fast  by  oak 
wedges  and  cement.  To  receive  these  wedges,  a  couple 
of  grooves  were  cut  in  the  waist  of  each  stone,  from  the 
top  to  the  bottom  of  the  course,  an  inch  deep  and  three 
inches  wide.  We  borrow  from  Smeaton's  own  narrative 
his  description  of  the  manner  in  which  each  stone  was 
laid  :— 

"  The  stone  to  be  set  being  hung  in  the  tackle,  and  its 
bed  of  mortar  spread,  was  then  lowered  into  its  place,  and 
beaten  with  a  heavy  wooden  mall,  and  levelled  with  a 
spirit-level ;  and  the  stone  being  accurately  brought  to  its 

*  Smiles,  "  Lives  of  the  Engineers,"  ii.  38. 


LATINO  THE  FOUNDATION.  123 

marks,  it  was  then  considered  as  set  in  its  place.  The 
business  now  was  to  retain  it  exactly  in  that  position,  not- 
withstanding the  utmost  violence  of  the  sea  might  come 
upon  it  before  the  mortar  was  hard  enough  to  resist  it. 
The  carpenter  now  dropped  into  each  groove  two  of  the 
oaken  wedges,  one  upon  its  head,  the  other  with  its  point 
downwards,  so  that  the  two  wedges  in  each  groove  would 
lie  heads  and  points.  With  a  bar  of  iron  about  two  inches 
and  a  half  broad,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  and  two  feet 
and  a  half  long,  the  ends  being  square,  he  could  easily 
(as  with  a  rammer)  drive  down  one  wedge  upon  the  other; 
very  gently  at  first,  so  that  the  opposite  pairs  of  wedges, 
being  equally  tightened,  they  would  equally  resist  each 
other,  and  the  stone  would  therefore  keep  place.  A 
couple  of  wedges  were  also,  in  like  manner,  pitched  at  the 
top  of  each  groove ;  the  dormant  wedge,  or  that  with  the 
point  upward,  being  held  in  the  hand,  while  the  drift- 
wedge,  or  that  with  its  point  downward,  was  driven  with 
a  hammer.  The  whole  of  what  remained  above  the  upper 
surface  of  the  stone  was  then  cut  off  with  a  saw  or  chisel ; 
and,  generally,  a  couple  of  thin  wedges  were  driven  very 
moderately  at  the  butt-end  of  the  stone ;  whose  tendency 
being  to  force  it  out  of  its  dove-tail,  they  would,  by 
moderate  driving,  only  tend  to  preserve  the  whole  mass 
steady  together,  in  opposition  to  the  violent  agitation  that 
might  arise  from  the  sea." 

When  the  stone  was  firmly  secured,  the  next  step  was 
to  liquefy  a  certain  portion  of  mortar  ;  and  the  joints  hav- 
ing been  carefully  pointed,  up  to  the  upper  surface,  this 
mortar  or  cement  was  poured  in  with  iron  ladles  so  as  to 
occupy  every  empty  space.  The  more  consistent  parts  of 


124  RAISING  THE  SUPERSTRUCTURE. 

the  cement  naturally  fell  to  the  bottom,  and  the  watery 
were  absorbed  by  the  stone ;  the  vacancy  thus  left  at  the 
top  was  repeatedly  refilled,  until  all  remained  solid  ;  then 
the  top  was  pointed,  and,  where  necessary,  defended  by  a 
layer  of  plaster. 

The  whole  of  the  foundation  having  thus  been  elevated 
to  a  proper  level,  some  other  means  was  required  to  obtain 
a  similar  amount  of  security  for  the  substructure. 

A  hole  of  one  foot  square  was  accordingly  cut  right 
through  the  middle  of  the  central  stone  in  the  sixth 
course ;  and  at  equal  distances  in  the  circumference  were 
sunk  eight  other  depressions  of  one  foot  square  and  six 
inches  deep.  A  strong  plug  of  hard  marble,  from  the 
rocks  near  Plymouth,  one  foot  square,  and  twenty-two 
inches  long,  was  set  with  mortar  in  the  central  cavity,  and 
driven  firmly  into  it  with  wedges.  As  this  course  was 
thirteen  inches  high,  it  is  evident  that  the  marble  plug 
which  reached  through  it  rose  nine  inches  above  the  sur- 
face. Upon  this  was  fixed  the  central  stone  of  the  next 
course,  having  a  similar  bore  in  its  middle,  bedded  with 
mortar,  and  wedged  as  before.  By  this  means,  no  force 
of  the  sea  acting  horizontally  upon  the  central  stone,  un- 
less it  was  able  to  cut  in  two  the  marble  plug,  could  move 
it  from  its  position ;  and  the  more  effectually  to  prevent 
the  stone  from  being  lifted,  in  case  its  bed  of  mortal- 
should  chance  to  be  destroyed,  it  was  fixed  down  by  four 
trenails.  The  stones  surrounding  the  central  were  dove- 
tailed to  it  in  the  same  manner  as  before,  and  thus  one 
course  rose  above  another,  with  no  other  interruption 
than  the  occasional  violence  of  the  waves  or  inclemency  of 
the  weather. 


SUCCESSFUL  PROGRESS  OF  THE  WORK.          125 

In  every  stage  of  the  laborious  and  difficult  work  Smea- 
ton  himself  was  foremost.  When  it  had  proceeded  so  far 
as  to  present  the  appearance  of  a  level  platform,  he  could 
not  deny  himself  the  gratification  of  enjoying  the  limited 
promenade  which  it  afforded ;  but  making  a  false  step,  and 
being  unable  to  recover  himself,  he  fell  over  the  brink  of 
the  work,  and  among  the  rocks  on  the  west  side.  The 
tide  having  retired,  he  sustained  no  very  serious  injury ; 
but  he  dislocated  his  thumb,  and  as  no  medical  assistance 
could  be  procured,  set  it  himself,  and  returned  to  his  work. 
The  incident  is  characteristic  of  the  courage  and  tenacity 
of  the  man. 

The  ninth  course  was  laid  on  the  30th  of  September,  and 
the  weather  becoming  boisterous,  further  operations  were 
suspended  for  that  year. 

The  following  winter  was  very  tempestuous,  and  it  was 
the  12th  of  May  before  Smeaton  and  his  workmen  again 
saw  the  Eddy  stone.  To  their  delight  and  surprise  they 
found  the  entire  work  in  the  same  condition  as  when  they 
left  it.  The  cement  appeared  to  have  become  as  hard 
as  the  stone  itself,  the  whole  being  concreted  into  one 
solid  mass. 

Thenceforward  the  work  made  vigorous  and  successful 
progress,  and,  by  September,  the  twenty-fourth  course  was 
reached  and  laid.  This  completed  what  is  called  "  the 
Solid  "  part  of  the  building,  and  formed  the  floor  of  the 
store-room ;  so  that  Smeaton  had  no  reason  to  be  dis- 
satisfied with  the  operations  of  the  season.  But  as  he  had 
long  been  meditating  on  the  advantage  to  the  public  which 
would  accrue  if  a  light  could  be  exhibited  that  very  winter, 


126  THE  INTERIOR  COMPLETE. 

he  resolved  on  a  vigorous  effort  to  complete  the  store- 
room and  erect  a  light  above  it. 

The  building,  says  an  accurate  authority,*  had  hitherto 
been  carried  up  solid  as  high  as  there  was  any  reason  to 
imagine  it  would  be  subjected  to  the  heavy  rush  of  the 
sea ;  that  is,  to  35  feet  4  inches  above  its  base,  and  27 
feet  above  the  top  of  the  rock,  on  the  common  spring-tide 
high- water  mark.  At  this  elevation  it  was  reduced  to  16 
feet  8  inches  diameter ;  and  it  was  needful  to  make  the 
best  use  of  this  space,  and  economize  it  to  the  utmost  ad- 
vantage consistent  with  the  one  primary  and  indispensable 
condition  of  strength.  The  rooms  were  built  with  a 
diameter  of  12  feet  4  inches,  having  for  the  walls  a  thick- 
ness of  2  feet  2  inches.  These  walls  were  made  of  single 
blocks,  and  so  shaped  that  a  complete  circle  was  formed 
by  sixteen  pieces,  which  were  cramped  together  with  iron, 
and  also  secured  to  the  lower  courses  by  marble  plugs  as 
before.  To  prevent  any  humidity  penetrating  through  the 
vertical  joints,  flat  stones  were  introduced  into  each,  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  be  lodged  partly  in  one  stone  and 
partly  in  another.  With  all  these  ingenious  precautions, 
the  twenty-eighth  course  was  completely  set  on  the  30th 
of  September. 

This,  and  the  next  course,  received  the  vaulted  floor, 
which  formed  at  once  the  ceiling  of  the  store-room,  and 
the  floor  of  the  upper  store-room.  For  additional  security, 
therefore,  a  groove  was  cut  round  the  upper  surface  of  the 
course,  in  which  was  lodged  a  massive  chain  of  iron. 
Upon  this  chain,  in  the  groove,  melted  lead  was  poured, 
until  the  cavity  was  filled  up.  The  next  course  was  laid 

*  "Smeaton  and  Lighthouses"  (edit.  1844),  pp.  57,  58. 


A  DIFFICULTY  OVERCOME. 


127 


arid  completed  in  a  similar  manner ;  and  by  the  10th  of 
October  Smeaton  had  nearly  perfected  his  arrangements 
for  establishing  a  light  and  light-keepers  at  the  Eddystone, 
when  his  hopes  were  suddenly  stricken  by  a  prohibition 
from  the  Trinity  House,  based  upon  legal  difficulties. 


SMEATON'H  LIGHTHOUSE  AT  THE  EDDYSTONE. 

But  this  being  at  last  removed,  the  work  was  recommenced 
for  the  next  and  last  season  on  the  5th  of  July.  On  the 
21st,  the  second  floor  was  finished;  on  the  29th,  the 
fortieth  course  was  laid,  and  the  third  floor  finished. 

On  the  17th  of  August  1759,  the  main  column  of  the 
lighthouse  was  completed.  Forty-six  courses  of  masonry 
had  been  laid,  and  the  graceful  structure  raised  to  its 
specified  height  of  seventy  feet.  The  last  work  done,, 
very  appropriately,  was  the  engraving  of  the  words  "  Laus 
Deo  "  (Praise  be  to  God  !)  on  the  last  stone  set  over  the 
lantern.  At  an  earlier  date,  Smeaton,  with  devout 
humility,  had  inscribed  on  the  course  beneath  the  ceiling 

1262)  9 


128  INTERNAL  ARRANGEMENTS. 

of  the  upper  store-room,  "  Except  the  Lord  build  the 
house,  they  labour  in  vain  that  build  it."  The  iron-work 
of  the  balcony  and  the  lantern  were  next  erected,  and  the 
whole  was  surmounted  by  a  gilt  ball. 

The  internal  arrangements  of  the  lighthouse  were  as 
follow : — 

First,  the  store-room,  with  a  doorway,  but  no  windows. 

Second,  the  upper  store-room. 

Third,  the  kitchen,  with  a  fireplace  and  sink,  two  settles 
with  lockers,  a  dresser  with  drawers,  two  cupboards,  and 
a  rack  for  dishes. 

Fourth,  the  bedroom,  with  three  cabin-beds,  to  hold  one 
man  in  each,  with  three  drawers  and  two  lockers  in  each 
to  receive  his  separate  property. 

Fifth,  the  lantern,  in  which  a  seat  was  placed  all  round, 
except  at  the  doorway. 

Besides  the  windows  of  the  lantern,  ten  other  windows 
were  constructed  for  the  edifice — namely,  for  the  store- 
room two,  and  for  each  of  the  upper  rooms  four.  In  fix- 
ing their  bars,  an  accident  happened  to  Smeaton,  which 
was  nearly  attended  with  fatal  results. 

"  After  the  boat  was  gone,"  he  says,  "  and  it  became  so 
dark  that  we  could  not  see  any  longer  to  pursue  our  occu- 
pations, I  ordered  a  charcoal-fire  to  be  made  in  the  upper 
store-room,  in  one  of  the  iron  pots  we  used  for  melting 
lead,  for  the  purpose  of  annealing  the  blank  ends  of  the 
bars ;  and  they  were  made  red-hot  altogether  in  the  char- 
coal. Most  of  the  workmen  were  set  round  the  fire,  and 
by  way  of  making  ourselves  comfortable,  by  screening 
ourselves  and  the  fire  from  the  wind,  the  windows  were 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  129 

shut ;  and,  as  well  as  I  remember,  the  copper  cover  or 
hatch  put  over  the  man-hole  of  the  floor  of  the  room 
where  the  fire  was — the  hatch  above  being  left  open  for 
the  heated  vapour  to  ascend.  I  remember  to  have  looked 
into  the  fire  attentively  to  see  that  the  iron  was  made 
hot  enough,  but  not  overheated  :  I  also  remember  I  felt 
my  head  a  very  little  giddy ;  but  the  next  thing  of  which 
I  had  any  sensation  or  idea  was  finding  myself  upon  the 
floor  of  the  room  below,  half  drowned  with  water.  It 
seems  that,  without  being  further  sensible  of  anything  to 
give  me  warning,  the  effluvia  of  the  charcoal  so  suddenly 
overcame  all  sensation,  that  I  dropped  down  upon  the 
floor ;  and  had  not  the  people  hauled  me  down  to  the 
room  below,  where  they  did  not  spare  for  cold  water  to 
throw  in  my  face  and  upon  me,  I  certainly  should  have 
expired  upon  the  spot." 

Escaping  this  and  other  perils,  Smeaton  saw  his  beauti- 
ful edifice  finally  brought  to  completion ;  and  on  the  16th 
of  October  a  light  was  once  more  shown  from  the  Eddy- 
stone  rock. 

The  lighthouse  has  now,  as  Mr.  Smiles  remarks,  with- 
stood the  storms  of  upwards  of  a  century — a  solid  monu- 
ment to  the  genius  of  its  architect  and  builder.  Some- 
times, he  says,*  when  the  sea  rolls  in  with  more  than 
ordinary  fury  from  the  Atlantic,  and  the  billows  are 
driven  up  the  Channel  by  the  force  of  a  south-west  wind, 
the  lighthouse  is  enveloped  in  spray,  and  its  light 
momentarily  obscured.  But  the  shadow  passes,  and  once 
more  it  beams  across  the  waters  like  a  star,  a  signal  and  a 
warning  to  the  homeward  bound.  Occasionally,  when  a 

*  Smiles,  "Lives  of  the  Engineers,"  ii.  45. 


130  STABILITY  OF  THE  WORK. 

strong  wave  strikes  it,  the  central  portion  of  the  wave 
shoots  up  the  perpendicular  shaft  and  leaps  quite  over  the 
lantern.  At  other  times,  a  colossal  hillow  hurls  itself 
upon  the  lighthouse,  as  if  to  shake  it  from  its  foundation ; 
and  to  its  inmates  the  shock  is  like  that  of  a  cannon  ;  the 
windows  rattle,  the  doors  jar,  and  the  building  trembles 
to  its  very  base.  But  the  vibration  felt  throughout  the 
lighthouse  on  such  an  occasion,  instead  of  being  a  sign  of 
weakness,  is  the  best  evidence  that  can  be  desired  of  the 
unity  of  the  fabric  and  the  cohesion  of  all  its  parts. 

"When  the  Eddystone  was  built,  scarcely  any  other  light 
guided  the  mariner  in  his  intricate  navigation  of  the 
Channel ;  but  now  it  is  abundantly  illuminated  along  its 
whole  extent,  and  its  course  is  almost  as  easily  tracked  as 
that  of  a  main  thoroughfare  in  London.  First  comes  the 
St.  Agnes  Light,  on  one  of  the  Scilly  Isles,  revolving  every 
minute,  at  an  elevation  of  138  feet  above  high  water. 
Next  are  made  the  two  Lizard  Lights,  which  crown  the 
rugged  cliffs  at  the  southernmost  point  of  the  English 
coast.  In  the  deep  curve  between  this  bold  headland  and 
the  craggy  promontories  of  Bolt  Head  and  Start  Point,  lie 
the  revolving  light  on  St  Anthony's  Point,  and  the  two 
lights  on  Plymouth  Breakwater  ;  while  out  at  sea,  almost 
in  front  of  Plymouth  Sound,  and  midway  between  the 
Lizard  and  the  Start,  the  waves  beat  and  swirl  around  the 
Eddystone.  On  Start  Point  there  are  two  lights :  one 
revolving,  for  the  Channel ;  and  another  fixed,  to  guide 
ships  inshore  clear  of  the  Skerries. 

Continuing  our  voyage  up  Channel,  we  see  on  the 
south,  off  the  coast  of  Jersey,  the  three  Casquet  Lights, 


GOING  UP  CHANNEL.  131 

and  on  the  north  the  two  fixed  lights  of  Portland  Hill. 
If  we  make  for  Portsmouth,  we  are  guided  by  the  light 
on  the  outermost  Needle  Rock  and  the  harbour  signals ; 


THE   LIGHTSHIP  AT   THE   NORE. 


but  keeping  out  at  sea,  we  pass  St.  Catherine's,  on  the 
extreme  southerly  headland  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
next,  the  lights  displayed  at  different  heights  on  the  Nab, 
and  the  single  fixed  light  on  the  Owers  vessel. 


132 


GOING  UP  CHANNEL. 


At  Beachy  Head  the  light,  which  revolves  in  two 
minutes,  is  285  feet  above  high  water.  At  Dungeness, 
the  light,  a  red  one  of  great  power,  is  situated  on 
the  low  projection  of  Dungeness  beach.  Next  are 
sighted  the  harbour  lights  of  Folkestone  and  Dover; 
whilst  on  the  French  coast  beams  the  flashing  light  of 
the  Varne  Bank,  and  the  splendid  revolving  light  of  Cape 
G-risnez. 

We  quit  the  Channel  with  the  South  Foreland  Lights, 
one  above  the  other,  on  our  left,  and  enter  the  historic 
waters  of  the  Downs — so  often  traversed  by  the  keels  of 
our  victorious  fleets — with  the  South  Sandhead  floating 
light  on  the  right.  Then,  on  the  one  hand,  our  course  is 
guided  by  the  floating  lights  of  the  Gull  and  the  North 
Sandhead — on  the  other  by  the  friendly  ray  of  the 
North  Foreland  lighthouse — until  we  reach  the  broad 
estuary  of  the  Thames,  where  the  lightship  of  the  Norc 
marks  the  entrance  of  the  greatest  marine  highway  in  the 
world. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE     SMALLS     LIGHTHOUSE. 

[E  motive  which  inspired  the  founder  of  the 
Smalls  Lighthouse  was  of  a  higher  order  than 
those  of  most  of  his  contemporaries.  In  erect- 
ing a  warning  light  upon  these  dangerous 
rocks,  Mr.  Philips  (for  this  was  his  name)  proposed  to 
himself,  as  his  great  and  enduring  recompense,  "  to  serve 
and  save  humanity."  But,  in  this  instance,  generosity 
met  with  its  due  reward  even  upon  earth  ;  and  when  the 
descendants  of  the  philanthropist  disposed  of  their  estab- 
lishment to  the  Trinity  House,  they  received,  by  way  of 
compensation,  a  sum  of  £15,000. 

The  undertaking  which  Philips  set  himself  was  one  of 
no  ordinary  difficulty,  of  no  common  danger.  The  rock 
on  which  he  resolved  to  erect  his  lighthouse,  in  ordinary 
weather  rose  fully  twelve  feet  above  the  water ;  but  when 
the  waves  were  heavy — a  very  common  occurrence  in  those 
parts — it  was  completely  submerged.  And  in  Philips's 
time  engineers  were  not  so  numerous  as  they  are  to-day ; 
the  professors  and  practical  expositors  of  science  were  then 
but  few,  were  misunderstood,  frequently  persecuted  or 


134  WHITESIDE  AND  HIS  ENTERPRISE. 

slandered,  notwithstanding  the  precious  contributions  they 
were  making  yearly  to  the  great  sum  of  human  know- 
ledge and  human  happiness.  Philips,  therefore,  searched 
far  and  wide  before  he  discovered  a  man  able  to  carry  out 
his  idea.  At  length  he  found  him,  but  neither  among 
architects  nor  engineers  ;  the  assistant  he  chose  was  named 
Whiteside,  a  musical  instrument  maker  at  Liverpool, 
and  gifted  with  a  remarkable  aptitude  for  mechanical 
pursuits. 

It  was  in  the  summer  of  1772  that  Whiteside  first  ex- 
plored the  maze  of  rocks,  with  which  it  is  no  flight  of 
fancy  to  say  his  name  will  be  ever  associated.  He  landed 
on  the  Smalls  with  a  gallant  little  band  of  Cornish  miners  ; 
but  the  obstacles  which  he  encountered  at  the  very 
beginning  might  well  have  disgusted  him  with  the  enter- 
prise. Scarcely  was  the  foundation  begun,  before  the 
weather  suddenly  grew  tempestuous,  and  so  furious  was 
the  gale,  that  the  cutter  which  had  disembarked  them  was 
compelled  to  weigh  anchor  and  put  to  sea.  The  unfor- 
tunate workmen  left  upon  the  rock  clung  to  it  as  best 
they  might — clung  to  it  as  a  drowning  seaman  to  the 
fragment  of  broken  spar  which  alone  interposes  between 
him  and  death ;  and  in  this  wretched  position  they  remained 
for  two  days  and  nights.  Yet  even  this  rough  prelude 
could  not  discourage  Whiteside,  and  he  persevered  through 
a  long  series  of  difficulties  and  dangers  until  his  task  was 
finished. 

One  day  the  dwellers  on  the  neighbouring  coast  picked 
up  on  the  beach  what  is  so  expressively  called  "  a  message 
from  the  sea  " — namely,  a  strip  of  paper  enclosed  in  a 


THE  SMALLS   LIGHTHOUSE. 


A  MESSAGE  FROM  THE  SEA.  137 

bottle  very  carefully  sealed — the  bottle  itself  being 
deposited  in  a  cask  or  barrel.  On  the  barrel  were  written 
these  words : — 

"  Open  this,  and  you  will  find  a  letter." 

The  finders  obeyed  the  injunction,  and  found  the  fol- 
lowing : — 

"THE  SMALLS,  February  1st,  1777. 

"  Sir, — Being  now  in  a  most  dangerous  and  distressed  condition 
upon  the  Smalls,  do  hereby  trust  Providence  will  bring  to  your 
hand  this,  which  prayeth  for  your  immediate  assistance  to  fetch 
us  off  the  Smalls  before  the  next  spring,  or  we  fear  we  shall  perish ; 
our  water  near  all  gone,  our  fire  quite  gone,  and  our  house  in  a 
most  melancholy  manner.  I  doubt  not  but  you  will  fetch  us  from 
here  as  fast  as  possible  ;  we  can  be  got  off  at  some  part  of  the  tide 
almost  any  weather.  I  need  say  no  more,  but  remain  your  dis- 
tressed, 

"  Humble  servant, 

"  H.  WHITESIDE." 
Beneath  this  signature  a  postscript  had  been  added  : — 

"  We  were  distressed  in  a  gale  of  wind  upon  the  13th  of  Janu- 
ary, since  which  have  not  been  able  to  keep  any  light ;  but  we 
could  not  have  kept  any  light  above  sixteen  nights  longer  for  want 
of  oil  and  candles,  which  makes  us  murmur  and  think  we  are  for- 
gotten. 

"  EDWARD  EDWARDS,  G.  ADAMS,  J.  PRICE. 

«  p.s. — We  doubt  not  that  whoever  takes  up  this  will  be  so 
merciful  as  to  cause  it  to  be  sent  to  Thomas  Williams,  Esq., 
Trelethin,  near  St.  David's,  Wales." 

There  are  sadder  pages  than  this,  however,  in  the  brief 
chronicle  of  the  Smalls,  and  one  bears  a  close  resem- 
blance to  a  painful  incident  associated  with  the  Eddy- 
stone.  It  is  said  that  early  in  the  present  century,  and 


138  THE  DEAD  KEEPER. 

in  a  stormy  winter  of  peculiar  severity,  the  light-keepers 
were  deprived  of  all  communication  with  the  land  for  a 
period  of  four  months.  It  was  in  vain  that  ships  were 
dispatched  towards  the  rocks  ;  a  raging  sea  invariably  pre- 
vented their  approach.  One  of  them  returned,  on  a  certain 
occasion,  with  the  singular  intelligence  that  her  crew  had 
observed  a  man  standing  upright  and  motionless,  in  a 
corner  of  the  outer  gallery,  with  a  flag  of  distress  floating 
beside  him.  But  whether  he  was  alive  or  dead,  none 
could  say,  or  even  imagine.  Every  night  the  gaze  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  shore  was  anxiously  directed  towards 
the  lighthouse,  to  see  if  the  lamp  was  kindled ;  and  every 
night  the  welcome  ray  shone  punctually — a  proof  that 
there  was  still  a  keeper  at  the  Smalls.  But  were  the  two 
guardians  living ;  and  if  only  one,  which  of  the  two  sur- 
vived? The  curiosity  of  all,  and  the  deep  anxiety  of 
some,  daily  increased,  as  day  after  day  passed  without 
further  intelligence  from  the  sea-girt  rock. 

One  evening  a  fisherman  of  Milford  contrived  to  land 
on  the  lighthouse  rock  in  an  interval  of  calm,  and  to 
carry  back  to  Solva  the  two  keepers  ;  but  of  the  two 
one  was  a  corpse.  The  survivor  had  made  a  kind  of 
shroud  for  his  dead  comrade,  and  afterwards  placed  him 
upright  in  the  gallery,  and  securely  bound  him.  This  he 
did  to  avoid  the  odour  which  would  have  arisen  from  a 
dead  body  preserved  within  the  lighthouse,  and  yet  to 
let  it  remain  for  the  examination  of  the  surgeons,  lest  any 
suspicion  of  foul  play  should  attach  to  him. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  BELL  ROCK,  A.D.  1807-1811. 

JN  the  arts  of  peace  a  noble  rivalry  exists  be- 
tween the  sister  kingdoms  of  Great  Britain ; 
and  as  England  may  boast  in  her  Eddystone 
tower  of  a  splendid  work  of  science  and  phil- 
anthropy, and  in  her  Smeaton  of  an  engineer  not  less  re- 
markable for  genius  than  resolution,  so  may  Scotland 
proudly  point  to  the  lighthouse  on  the  Bell  Rock  as  a 
national  monument,  and  to  her  Robert  Stevenson  as 
scarcely  inferior  to  Smeaton  in  skill  and  intrepidity. 

We  have  already  stated  that  the  charge  of  lighting 
the  Scottish  coast  —  which,  owing  to  its  exposure  to 
heavy  seas  and  furious  winds,  to  its  numerous  rocks  and 
islands  and  rugged  promontories,  is  one  of  the  most 
dangerous  in  Europe,  perhaps  in  the  world — is  intrusted 
to  a  body  called  the  "Commissioners  of  Northern  Lights," 
incorporated  by  Act  of  Parliament 'in  1786.  At  first  the 
erection  of  only  four  lights  was  contemplated  :  at  Kinnaird 
Head,  in  Aberdeenshire ;  on  the  Orkney  Islands ;  on  the 
Harris  Islands ;  and  at  the  Mull  of  Kintyre,  in  Argyle- 


140  THE  ISLE  OF  MA  Y. 

shire.  But  the  vast  development  of  the  commerce  of 
Scotland  soon  called  for  additional  assistance  to  the  navi- 
gators of  her  waters,  and  at  the  present  time  her  shores 
are  surrounded  with  a  ring  of  warning  lights. 

The  most  ancient  public  light  on  the  Scottish  coast  is 
that  situated  on  the  Isle  of  May  ;  an  island  which,  like  a 
natural  breakwater,  lies  off  the  mouth  of  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  and  commands,  as  it  were,  the  great  highway  to 
the  Scotch  capital  and  its  prosperous  port.  It  seems  to 
have  been  erected  at  a  very  early  period ;  and  over  the 
entrance-door  of  the  weather-beaten  tower  is  cut  the 
figure  of  the  sun,  with  the  date  of  1635. 

After  the  Union,  very  considerable  discontent  was  ex- 
pressed by  the  English  and  Irish  merchants  that,  for  the 
maintenance  of  this  beacon,  they  were  charged  exactly  double 
the  rate  paid  by  Scottish  vessels.  They  also  complained  of 
the  insufficiency  of  the  light,  which  was  simply  a  coal- fire 
exposed  in  an  open  chauffer,  or  brazier.  The  Edinburgh 
Chamber  of  Commerce  taking  up  the  matter,  the  proprietor 
of  the  light  consented  to  increase  its  magnitude,  and  accord- 
ingly enlarged  his  chauffer  to  three  feet  square,  doubling 
the  consumption  of  coal,  which  had  formerly  been  about 
200  tons  per  annum.  Thenceforth  it  became  the  "  most 
powerful  coal-light  in  the  kingdom ;  "  but,  owing  to  its 
exposure,  was  frequently  unsteady  in  foul  weather ;  and, 
moreover,  was  apt  to  be  confused  with  the  lime-kilns  and 
accidental  fires  on  the  neighbouring  coast.  The  Duke  of 
Portland  had  by  this  time  become  proprietor — through 
marriage — of  the  light  and  the  island;  but  to  repeated 
applications  that  he  would  substitute  an  oil-light  and  re- 
flectors for  the  wavering  and  uncertain  coal-fire,  he  turned 


YEARS  OF  PROGRESS.  141 

a  deaf  ear.  At  length,  on  the  19th  of  December  1810, 
two  men-of-war  were  wrecked  near  Dunbar,  in  con- 
sequence, it  was  believed,  of  a  lime-kiln  on  the  Hadding- 
tonshire  coast  being  mistaken  for  the  Isle  of  May  light. 
The  Admiralty  were  thus  led  to  interfere,  and,  after  some 
negotiations  with  the  Duke  of  Portland,  an  Act  of  Par- 
liament was  passed  in  1814  empowering  the  Commis- 
sioners of  Northern  Lights  to  purchase  the  island  and  its 
lighthouse  for  a  sum  of  £60,000.  The  tolls  were  then 
reduced  to  an  uniform  scale,  a  new  tower  was  erected,  and 
a  light  on  the  catoptric  system  was  first  exhibited  on  the 
1st  of  February  1816. 

Meanwhile,  the  progress  made  in  lighting  other  im- 
portant points  of  the  Scottish  coast  had  been  considerable. 

The  lighthouse  at  Grass  Island  in  Harris  was  completed 
on  the  10th  of  October  1789.  On  the  same  date  was  kindled 
a  light  at  North  Ronaldshay,  in  Orkney.  In  1790,  on  the  1st 
of  October,  a  light  was  exhibited  at  Pladda,  a  small  island 
south-west  of  Arran,  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde.  As  a  guide 
to  the  Pentland  Firth  a  lighthouse  was  erected  on  the 
Pentland  Skerries  in  1794.  The  Skerries  are  a  couple  of 
desolate  islands,  exposed  to  the  stress  of  the  North  Sea 
and  the  currents  of  the  Pentland  Firth ;  and  the  works 
here  consist  of  an  upper  and  lower  lighthouse,  respectively 
100  and  80  feet  above  the  sea-level,  and  60  feet  apart. 
They  deserve  our  special  notice  as  the  first  memorials  of 
the  skill  and  energy  of  Robert  Stevenson  as  an  engineer. 
He  was  on  the  spot  when  the  two  lights  were  first  ex- 
hibited, October  1,  1794  ;  and,  his  task  completed,  sailed 
from  Orkney  on  the  9th  of  October  in  the  sloop  Elizabeth. 


1 42  NOR  Til  R ONALDSHA  Y. 

On  the  following  day  he  landed  within  a  few  miles  of 
Kinnaird  Head  lighthouse,  and  continued  his  journey  to 
Edinburgh  by  road,  reaching  the  capital  in  safety.  A 
different  fate,  however,  awaited  his  former  companions ; 
the  sloop  having  put  back  to  Cromarty  Roads,  was  after- 
wards driven  to  Orkney,  and  ultimately  lost,  when  all  on 
board  perished.* 

We  have  spoken  of  a  lighthouse  erected  on  North 
Ronaldshay  in  1789.  An  experience  of  twelve  years 
showed  that  its  position  had  been  unfortunately  selected, 
and  that  it  by  no  means  assisted  the  mariner  in  navi- 
gating the  difficult  straits  of  the  Orkney  archipelago. 
Every  winter  ships  were  cast  away,  and  precious  lives 
were  lost,  on  the  islands  of  Stronsay  and  Sanday,  though 
the  latter  is  only  eight  miles  distant  from  North  Roland- 
shay.  In  1796  three  homeward-bound  vessels  were 
lost  on  this  fatal  island,  and  eight  more  in  the  next 
three  years.  It  was  therefore  resolved,  in  1801,  that  a 
beacon,  or  tower  of  masonry,  should  be  erected  upon 
the  Start  Point,  or  eastern  extremity  of  the  low  shores 
of  the  island  of  Sanday ;  and  erected  in  such  a  manner 
that,  if  found  necessary,  it  might  be  converted  into  a 
lighthouse. 

In  1802  Mr.  Stevenson  sailed  on  his  annual  voyage  of 
inspection  to  the  Northern  Lighthouses,  carrying  with  him 
a  foreman  and  sixteen  artificers  to  commence  the  works  on 
Start  Point.  It  was  the  month  of  April,  but,  even  at  this 
advanced  period  of  the  season,  the  Orkney  Islands  were 

*  Robert    Stevenson,    "  Account  of  the    Bell  Rock    Lighthouse,"    p.    17 
(Edit.  1824). 


A  MASONIC  ADDRESS.  143 

found  covered  to  the  depth  of  six  inches  with  snow. 
Operations  were  commenced,  however,  without  a  day's 
delay :  a  sandstone  quarry  was  opened  on  the  adjacent 
island  of  Edda ;  and  by  the  middle  of  May  sufficient  ma- 
terials were  collected  for  the  commencement  of  the  edifice. 
The  foundation-stone  was  laid,  with  masonic  ceremonies,  on 
the  15th  of  May,  when  an  address  was  delivered  by  Mr. 
Traill,  the  minister  of  the  parish,  some  portions  of  which 
may  be  preserved  in  these  pages  : — 

"  The  moment  is  auspicious.  The  foundation-stone  is 
laid  of  a  building  of  incalculable  value ; — a  work  of  use, 
not  of  luxury.  Pyramids  were  erected  by  the  pride  of 
kings  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  men  whose  ambition 
enslaved  and  desolated  the  world.  But  it  is  the  benevo- 
lent intention  of  our  Government  on  this  spot  to  erect  a 
tower — not  to  exhaust,  but — to  increase  the  wealth  and 
protect  the  commerce  of  this  happy  kingdom 

"  Consider  the  great  national  objects  for  which  this 
building  will  be  erected.  To  protect  commerce,  and  to 
guard  the  lives  of  those  intrepid  men  who  for  us  cheer- 
fully brave  the  fury  of  the  waves  and  the  rage  of  the 
battle.  The  mariner,  when  he  returns  to  the  embraces  of 
his  wife  and  children,  after  ascribing  praise  to  the  great 
G-iver  of  safety,  shall  bless  the  friendly  light  which  guided 
him  over  the  deep,  and  recommend  to  the  protection  of 
Heaven  those  who  urged,  who  planned,  and  who  executed 
the  work.  This  day  shall  be  remembered  with  gratitude. 
It  shall  be  recorded  that,  at  the  beginning  of  a  new  cen- 
tury, the  pious  care  of  Government  was  extended  to  this 
remote  island.  These  rocks,  so  fatal  to  the  most  brave 
and  honourable  part  of  the  community,  shall  lose  their 

(262)  10 


144  WRECKS  AND  WRECKERS. 

terror,  and  safety  and  life  shall  spring  from  danger  and 
death."  * 


By  steadily  prosecuting  the  works  throughout  the 
summer,  they  were  brought  to  a  fortunate  completion  in 
the  month  of  September.  The  beacon  rose  to  a  height  of 
100  feet,  and  terminated  with  a  massive  ball  of  masonry, 
measuring  fifteen  feet  in  circumference. 

It  was  found,  however,  that  the  construction  of  this 
beacon  did  not  prevent  the  occurrence  of  frequent  wrecks 
upon  the  island.  It  was  proverbial  with  its  inhabitants 
to  observe,  that  if  wrecks  were  to  happen,  they  might  as 
well  be  sent  to  the  poor  island  of  Sanday  as  anywhere  else. 
In  fact,  the  inhabitants  of  this  and  the  neighbouring  islands 
lived  upon  the  proceeds  of  their  wreckage,  and  melancholy 
remains  of  many  a  "  tall  ship "  met  the  eye  in  every 
direction. 

For  example,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,  although  quarries  are 
to  be  generally  met  with  in  these  islands,  and  the  stones 
are  very  suitable  for  building  dykes,  yet  instances  occur  of 
the  land  being  enclosed,  even  to  a  considerable  extent, 
with  ship-timbers.  A  park  f  might  be  seen  paled  round, 
chiefly  with  cedar-wood  and  mahogany  from  the  wreck  of 
a  Honduras-built  ship  ;  J  and  in  one  island,  after  the  loss 
of  a  ship  laden  with  wine,  the  inhabitants  took  claret  to 
their  barley-meal  porridge,  instead  of  their  usual  beverage. 
When  Mr.  Stevenson  complained  to  one  of  the  pilots  of 

*  Stevenson,  "  Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  p.  23. 
t  A  "  park,"  Scottice  for  a  "  field." 

t  Is  it  necessary  to  remind  the  reader  that  Honduras,  on  the  Bay  of  Cam- 
peachy,  is  famous  for  its  mahogany? 


INCHKE1TH  LIGHTHOUSE.  145 

the  badness  of  his  boat's  sails,  he  replied,  with  grim 
humour,  "  Had  it  been  God's  will  that  you  came  na  here 
wi'  these  lights,  we  might  a'  had  better  sails  to  our  boats, 
and  more  o'  other  things."  A  much  higher  rent  was 
given  for  the  farms  than  they  were  absolutely  worth,  in 
consideration  of  the  profits  that  would  probably  accrue 
from  wrecks  on  their  respective  shores. 

Under  these  circumstances  it  was  deemed  advisable  to 
convert  the  North  Ronaldshay  lighthouse  into  a  beacon, 
and  the  Start  Point  beacon  into  a  lighthouse,  both  trans- 
formations being  successfully  effected  in  the  course  of  the 
year  1805 ;  and  the  light  exhibited  on  Start  Point, 
January  1st,  1806. 

Continuing  our  brief  chronological  resume,  we  find  that, 
for  the  better  navigation  of  the  noble  estuary  of  the  Forth, 
a  lighthouse  was  erected  on  the  island  of  Inchkeith — which 
lies  nearly  opposite  the  town  of  Portobello  on  the  south 
shore,  and  Burntisland  on  the  north — in  1805.  Its  base 
is  175  feet  above  the  sea,  and  the  building  itself  measures 
45  feet  in  height.  The  light  is  a  revolving  one. 

We  now  come  to  a  description  and  historical  account  of 
the  celebrated  lighthouse  to  which  this  chapter  is  more 
particularly  devoted. 

PHAROS  loquitur. 
"  Far  in  the  bosom  of  the  deep 
O'er  these  wild  shelves  my  watch  I  keep, 
A  ruddy  gem  of  changeful  light, 
Bound  on  the  dusky  brow  of  Night : 
The  seaman  bids  my  lustre  hail, 
And  scorns  to  strike  his  timorous  sail." 

SIR  WALTER  SCOTT  * 

*  Written  by  the  great  novelist  in  the  Album  of  the  Lighthouse,  when  he 
visited  it  in  1816. 


146 


THE  INCH  CAPE  ROCK. 


INCHKEITH    LIGHTIIOUSE. 


The  Inch  Cape,  or  Bell  Rock,  is  a  "  dangerous  sunken 
reef/'  situated  on  the  northern  side  of  the  entrance  of  the 
Firth  of  Forth,  at  a  distance  of  eleven  miles  from  the  pro- 
montory of  the  Red  Head,  in  Forfarshire ;  of  seventeen 
miles  from  the  island  of  May ;  and  of  thirty  miles  from 
St.  Abb's  Head,  in  Berwickshire.  Its  exact  position  is  in 
lat.  56°  29'  N.,  and  long.  2°  22'  E.  Its  extreme  length 
is  estimated  by  Mr.  Stevenson  at  1427  feet,  and  its  ex- 
treme breadth  at  about  30  feet,  but  its  configuration  or 
margin  is  extremely  irregular.  The  geological  formation 
of  the  rock  is  a  reddish  sandstone,  which  in  some  places 
contains  whitish  and  greenish  spots  of  circular  and  oval 
forms.  Its  lower  portions  are  covered  with  various  aquatic 
plants,  such  as  the  great  tangle  (fucus  digitatus),  and  the 
badderlock,  or  hen- ware  (fucus  esculentus) ;  while  the 


SOU  TEE  rs  BALLAD.  147 

higher  parts  are  clothed  with  the  smaller  fuci,  such  as 
fucus  marmillosus,  suidfucuspalmatus,  or  common  dulse. 

The  name  "  Inch  Cape  "  occurs  in  a  chart  published  in 
1583,  and  refers,  we  suppose,  to  its  situation  as  an  "  inch," 
or  island,  off  the  Red  Head  promontory.  Its  better  known 
appellation,  "  the  Bell  Rock,"  may  allude  to  its  bell-like 
figure,  but  more  probably  originated  in  the  circumstance 
that  a  bell  with  a  float  was  fixed  upon  it  by  a  former 
abbot  of  Aberbrothock  (Arbroath),  in  such  a  manner  that 
it  was  set  in  motion  by  the  winds  and  waves,  and  by  its 
deep  tones  afforded  a  much-needed  warning  to  navigators 
of  the  dangerous  character  of  the  spot. 

In  connection  with  this  humane  device — whose  actual 
existence  there  seems  no  good  reason  to  doubt — an  old 
tradition  has  long  been  current,  which  Southey  embodies 
with  much  picturesque  effect  in  his  well-known  ballad  of 
"  Sir  Ralph  the  Rover"  :  — 

"  No  stir  in  the  air,  no  stir  in  the  sea, 
The^hip  was  still  as  she  could  be  ; 
Her  sails  from  heaven  received  no  motion, 
Her  keel  was  steady  in  the  ocean. 

"  Without  either  sign  or  sound  of  their  shock, 
The  waves  flowed  over  the  Inchcape  Rock  ; 
So  little  they  rose,  so  little  they  fell, 
They  did  not  move  the  Inchcape  Bell. 

"  The  Abbot  of  Aberbrothok 
Had  placed  that  bell  on  the  Inchcape  Rock  ; 
On  a  buoy  in  the  storm  it  floated  and  swung, 
And  over  the  waves  its  warning  rung. 

"  When  the  rock  was  hid  by  the  surge's  swell, 
The  mariners  heard  the  warning  bell ; 
And  then  they  knew  the  perilous  rock, 
And  blessed  the  Abbot  of  Aberbrothok. 

"  The  sun  in  heaven  was  shining  gay, 
All  things  were  joyful  on  that  day  ; 


148  SIR  RALPH  THE  ROVER. 

The  sea-birds  screamed  as  they  wheeled  around, 
And  there  was  joyaunce  in  their  sound. 

"  The  buoy  of  the  Inchcape  bell  was  seen, 
A  darker  speck  on  the  ocean  green  ; 
Sir  Ralph  the  Rover  walked  his  deck, 
And  he  fixed  his  eye  on  the  darker  speck. 

"  He  felt  the  cheering  power  of  spring, 
It  made  him  whistle,  it  made  him  sing  ; 
His  heart  was  mirthful  to  excess, 
But  the  Rover's  mirth  was  wickedness 

"  His  eye  was  on  the  Inchcape  float ; 
Quoth  he,  '  My  men,  put  out  the  boat, 
And  row  me  to  the  Inchcape  Rock, 
And  I'll  plague  the  Abbot  of  Aberbrothok. ' 

"  The  boat  is  lowered,  the  boatmen  row, 
And  to  the  Inchcape  Rock  they  go ; 
Sir  Ralph  bent  over  from  the  boat, 
And  he  cut  the  bell  from  the  Inchcape  float. 

' '  Down  sunk  the  bell  with  a  gv  gling  sound, 
The  bubbles  rose  and  burst  around  ; 
Quoth  Sir  Ralph,  '  The  next  who  comes  to  the  rock 
Won't  bless  the  Abbot  of  Aberbrothok.' 

' '  Sir  Ralph  the  Rover  sailed  away, 
He,  scoured  the  seas  for  many  a  day ; 
And  now  grown  rich  with  plundered  store. 
He  steers  his  course  for  Scotland's  shore. 

"  So  thick  a  haze  o'erspreads  the  sky, 
They  cannot  see  the  sun  on  high  ; 
And  the  wind  hath  blown  a  gale  all  day,  — 
At  evening  it  hath  died  away. 

"  On  the  deck  the  Rover  takes  his  stand, 
So  dark  it  is  they  see  no  land : 
Quoth  Sir  Ralph,  '  It  will  be  lighter  soon, 
For  there  is  the  dawn  of  the  rising  moon.' 

"  '  Canst  hear,'  said  one,  'the  breakers  roar  ? 
For  methinks  we  should  be  near  the  shore ; ' 
1  Now  where  we  are  I  cannot  tell, 
But  I  wish  I  could  hear  the  Inchcape  bell !' 

"  They  hear  no  sound,  the  swell  is  strong  ; 
Though  the  wind  hath  fallen  they  drift  along, 
Till  the  vessel  strikes  with  a  shivering  shock, — 
'  O  Christ !  it  is  the  Inchcape  Rock.' 


THE  WORK  BEGUN.  149 

"  Sir  Ralph  the  Rover  tore  his  hair, 
He  curst  himself  in  his  despair ; 
The  waves  rush  in  on  every  side, 
The  ship  is  sinking  beneath  the  tide. 

"  But  even  in  his  dying  fear 
One  dreadful  sound  could  the  Rover  hear, — 
A  sound  as  if  with  the  Inchcape  bell 
The  devil  below  was  ringing  his  knell." 

It  would  be  difficult  to  name  a  position  on  the  Scottish 
coast  where  a  lighthouse  was  more  a  matter  of  necessity 
for  the  safety  of  ships  than  this  long-famous  rock.  The 
beacons  which,  one  after  another,  had  been  erected  upon  it, 
the  furious  waves  had  swept  away;  and  a  structure  was 
needed  not  less  solid  and  permanent  than  that  of  the 
Eddystone.  To  design  such  a  structure,  and  to  plant  it 
solidly  amid  the  waves,  became,  in  1806,  the  task  of  Mr. 
Robert  Stevenson.  As  the  rock  was  frequently  under 
water  to  the  depth  of  twelve  feet,  the  task  was  scarcely 
less  difficult  than  that  whose  successful  achievement  has 
helped  to  perpetuate  the  name  and  fame  of  Smeaton. 

On  the  7th  of  August  1807  the  work  was  begun.  The 
first  stage  was  the  erection  of  a  wooden  workshop  and 
residence  for  the  artificers,  and  this  apparently  simple 
operation  occupied  the  whole  season,  the  supports  having 
to  be  firmly  fixed  in  holes  dug  out  of  the  solid  rock. 
The  hardness  and  compactness  of  the  sandstone,  however, 
soon  blunted  their  tools,  and  rendered  necessary  the  con- 
stant employment  of  a  smith  with  his  forge.  But  it  often 
happened,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,  to  our  annoyance  and  dis- 
appointment, in  the  early  state  of  the  work,  when  the 
"  smith  was  in  the  middle  of  "  a  favourite  heat,"  and  fashion- 
ing some  useful  article,  or  sharpening  the  tools,  after  the 
flood-tide  had  compelled  the  men  to  strike  work,  a  sea 


150  A  PERILOUS  POSITION. 

would  come  rolling  over  the  rocks,  dash  out  the  fire,  and 
endanger  that  indispensable  implement,  the  bellows  ;  or,  if 
the  sea  were  smooth,  while  the  smith  often  stood  at  work 
knee-deep  in  the  water,  the  tide  rose  imperceptibly,  first 
cooling  the  exterior  of  the  fireplace,  or  hearth,  and  then 
quietly  blackening  and  extinguishing  the  fire  from  below. 
Mr.  Stevenson  was  frequently  amused  at  the  anxiety  and 
perplexity  of  the  unfortunate  smith  when  coaxing  his  fire, 
and  endeavouring  in  vain  to  contend  against  the  rising 
tide.  Obviously  the  work  would  go  on  but  slowly,  until 
the  workshop  (also  intended  to  serve  as  a  beacon)  was 
completed,  and  the  smith  protected  against  the  insidious 
waters.* 

Dangers  of  a  far  more  serious  kind  also  beset  the 
patient  founders  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse. 

On  the  2nd  of  September,  after  the  first  cargo  of  stones 
had  been  landed,  and  while  thirty-two  artificers  were 
busily  occupied  in  their  various  departments  of  labour,  a 
gale  arose,  and  the  attendant  vessel — named  the  Smeaton, 
after  the  great  English  engineer — broke  adrift  from  her 
moorings.  This  unfortunate  circumstance,  at  first,  was 
known  only  to  Mr.  Stevenson  and  his  landing-master,  who 
fully  appreciated  the  gravity  of  the  situation — thirty-two 
men  on  an  insulated  rock,  which,  at  flood-tide,  lay 
twelve  feet  under  water,  with  only  two  boats  at  hand,  and 
these  not  capable  in  foul  weather  of  carrying  more  than 
eight  men  each. 

While  the  artisans  were  at  work,  chiefly  in  sitting  and 
kneeling  postures,  excavating  the  rock,  or  boring  with  the 

*  Stevenson,  "Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  p.  125.  To  prevent 
the  repetition  of  useless  references,  we  would  here  acknowledge  that  in  the 
following  pages  we  have  closely  followed  Mr.  Stevenson's  own  narrative. 


A  BOAT  ADRIFT.  151 

tools,  and  while  the  din  of  their  hammers  and  the  clang 
of  the  smith's  forge  filled  the  air,  there  was  sufficient  life 
and  motion  in  the  scene  to  keep  Stevenson's  mind  from 
fully  realizing  the  dangers  of  his  position.  But  by  de- 
grees the  water  began  to  rise,  and  with  slowly-swelling 
waves  it  gained  upon  those  engaged  in  work  on  the  lower 
portions  of  the  sites  of  the  beacon  and  lighthouse.  From 
the  run  of  the  sea  upon  the  rock,  the  forge-fire  was  more 
quickly  extinguished  than  usual ;  and  the  volumes  of 
smoke  having  ceased,  the  men  at  work  could  examine 
every  object  around.  After  having  had  about  three 
hours'  work,  the  majority  began  to  make  towards  their 
respective  boats  for  their  jackets  and  stockings,  when,  to 
their  astonishment,  instead  of  three  boats,  they  found  only 
two,  the  third  being  adrift  with  the  Smeaton.  Not  a  word 
was  uttered,  but  all  appeared  to  be  silently  calculating 
their  numbers,  while  they  gazed  from  one  to  another  with 
dismay  and  perplexity  plainly  painted  on  their  counte- 
nances. The  landing-master,  conceiving  that  he  might  be 
censured  for  allowing  the  boat  to  quit  the  rock,  remained 
at  a  distance,  while  Mr.  Stevenson  placed  himself  on  the 
most  elevated  crag,  endeavouring  to  track  the  progress  of 
the  Smeaton,  and  surprised  that  the  crew  did  not  cut  her 
boat  adrift,  as  it  greatly  retarded  her  way.  The  work- 
men looked  steadfastly  upon  their  engineer,  occasionally 
turning  towards  the  vessel,  which  was  still  far  to  leeward. 

All  this  took  place  in  the  most  perfect  silence,  and  the 
melancholy  solemnity  of  the  scene  was  such  that  it  pro- 
duced an  ineffaceable  impression  on  Mr.  Stevenson's  mind. 

In  the  meantime  the  engineer  was  meditating  various 
schemes  which  might  be  adopted  for  the  general  safety  of 


152  HAPPILY  RESCUED. 

the  party.  The  most  feasible  seemed  to  be,  that  as  soon 
as  the  waves  should  reach  the  highest  summit  of  the  rock, 
all  should  disembarrass  themselves  of  their  upper  gar- 
ments ;  and  while  a  certain  number  went  on  board  each 
boat,  the  remainder  should  hang  by  the  gunwales,  and  the 
boats  should  row  gently  towards  the  Smeaton,  as  the 
Pharos,  or  floating-light,  lay  too  much  to  the  windward 
of  the  rock.  Stevenson  wished  to  propose  this  plan;  but, 
on  attempting  to  speak,  his  mouth  was  so  parched  that 
his  tongue  refused  utterance,  and  he  now  learned  by  ex- 
perience that  the  saliva  is  as  necessary  as  the  tongue  itself 
for  speech.  Turning  to  one  of  the  rock-pools,  he  lapped 
a  little  water,  and  obtained  immediate  relief.  But  great 
was  his  joy,  when,  on  rising  from  this  unpleasant  beverage, 
a  voice  called  out,  "A  boat!  a  boat!"  and,  on  looking 
around,  at  no  great  distance  a  large  boat  loomed  through 
the  deep,  and  was  evidently  making  for  the  rock.  She 
proved  to  be  a  pilot-boat  from  Arbroath,  express  with 
letters;  and  willingly  taking  on  board  Stevenson  and  his 
company,  rescued  them  from  their  critical  position.  In 
return  for  this  service,  the  pilot  was  pensioned  by  the 
Lighthouse  Commissioners  in  his  old  age. 

On  the  6th  of  September,  tfee  whole  company  on  board 
of  the  light-ship,  or  Pharos,  was  surprised  by  a  tremendous 
gale,  which  prevented  them  from  approaching  the  rock 
for  ten  days,  and  exposed  them  to  real  danger. 

About  two  o'clock  P.M.,  says  Stevenson,  a  very  heavy 
sea  struck  the  ship,  flooded  the  deck,  and  poured  into  the 
berths  below.  Everybody  thought  that  she  had  foundered, 
and  that  their  last  moment  had  come.  Below  deck  total 


RIDING  OUT  A  GALE.  153 

darkness  prevailed;  several  of  the  artificers  were  at  prayer, 
repeating  hymns,  or  uttering  devout  ejaculations;  others 
protested  that  if  they  should  be  fortunately  spared  to 
reach  land  once  more,  no  one  would  induce  them  to  tempt 
the  treacherous  waves  again.  Through  the  confusion 
Stevenson  made  his  way  upon  deck.  An  astounding 
spectacle  met  his  gaze.  The  billows  appeared  to  be  ten 
or  fifteen  feet  in  height  of  unbroken  water,  and  each 
threatened  the  little  vessel  with  immediate  destruction;, 
but  still,  with  wonderful  buoyancy,  she  continued  to  rise 
upon  the  waves,  and  escape  their  worst  violence. 

"  On  deck,"  we  are  told,*  "  there  was  only  one  solitary 
individual  looking  out  to  give  the  alarm,  in  the  event  of 
the  ship  breaking  from  her  moorings.  The  seamen  on 
watch  continued  only  two  hours;  he  who  kept  watch  at 
this  time  was  a  tall,  slender  man  of  a  black  complexion; 
he  had  no  great-coat  nor  over-all  of  any  kind,  but  was 
simply  dressed  in  his  ordinary  jacket  and  trousers ;  his 
hat  was  tied  under'  his  chin  with  a  napkin,  and  he  stood 
aft  the  foremast,  to  which  he  had  lashed  himself  with  a 
gasket,  or  small  rope  round  his  waist,  to  prevent  his 
falling  upon  deck  or  being  washed  overboard.  When  Mr. 
Stevenson  looked  up  he  appeared  to  smile,  which  afforded 
a  further  symptom  of  the  confidence  of  the  crew  in  their 
ship." 

About  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  gale  abated,  and 
the  sun  rose  the  next  morning  in  a  comparatively  serene 
sky.  The  waves  still  rolled  very  heavily,  and  at  the 
Bell  Rock  they  threw  up  their  spray  in  columns  of  from 
forty  to  fifty  feet  in  height.  When  Mr.  Stevenson  was 

*  Stevenson,  "  Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  p.  157. 


154  END  OF  THE  FIRST  SEASON. 

able  to  visit  the  rock,  he  found  abundant  evidence  of  their 
force :  six  large  blocks  of  granite  had  been  removed  from 
their  places  and  flung  over  a  rising  ledge  into  a  hole  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  paces  distant.  The  ash-pan  of  the 
smith's  forge,  with  its  weighty  cast-iron  back,  had  also 
been  washed  from  their  places  of  supposed  security ;  the 
chain  of  attachment  had  been  broken,  and  these  ponderous 
articles  were  found  on  the  very  opposite  side  of  the  rock. 

Such  incidents  as  these  stimulated  Stevenson's  desire  to 
complete  the  erection  of  the  beacon,  which  would  serve 
as  a  warning  to  the  mariner,  and  as  an  asylum  for  the 
artificers  on  the  rock.  By  dint  of  persevering  exertions, 
it  was  at  length  completed  ;  and  soon  afterwards,  on  the  6th 
of  October  1807,  the  works  were  relinquished  for  the 
season.  Though  only  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-three 
hours  had  been  actually  devoted  to  them,  enough  had 
been  effected  to  afford  an  example  of  what  may  be  accom- 
plished under  similar  circumstances,  when  every  heart  and 
hand  labour  with  conscientious  zeal ;  for  the  artificers 
had  wrought  at  the  construction  of  the  beacon  as  if  for 
life,  or  like  men  stopping  a  breach  in  a  wall  to  repress 
the  inroads  of  a  destroying  flood.* 

During  the  winter  the  men  were  engaged  in  quarrying 
and  preparing  the  stones,  and  collecting  divers  materials. 
The  stones  were  laid  down  in  courses  in  the  positions  they 
would  occupy  in  the  future  lighthouse ;  they  were  than 
carefully  numbered  and  marked,  bored  or  fixed  with 
oaken  trenails  and  stone  joggles,  after  the  plan  adopted 

*  Stevenson,  "Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  p.  180. 


A  LL  HA  NDS  A  T  WOR K.  155 

by  Smeaton  in  building  the  Eddystone  lighthouse  ;  and  in 
this  state  laid  aside  for  trans-shipment  to  the  rock. 

The  operations  of  the  second  season  (1808)  were 
commenced  at  as  early  a  date  as  the  weather  permitted. 
A  new  tender,  the  Sir  Joseph  Banks,  was  provided  for 
the  reception  of  the  men  when  not  at  work,  and  as  it  lay 
alongside  the  rock,  protected  from  the  winds,  the  process 
of  landing  or  embarkation  was  conducted  with  very  great 
facility. 

The  mode  in  which  the  different  artificers  were  employed 
is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Stevenson*  : — 

"  Preparations  having  been  made  for  a  second  forge  upon 
the  beacon,  the  smiths  commenced  their  operations  both 
upon  the  higher  and  lower  platforms,  where  forges  had 
been  erected.  They  were  employed  in  sharpening  the 
picks  and  irons  for  the  masons,  and  in  making  bats, 
movable  cranes,  and 'Other  apparatus  of  various  descrip- 
tions connected  with  the  railways.  The  landing-master's 
crew  were  occupied  in  assisting  the  mill-wrights  in  laying 
the  railways  to  land.  Sailors,  of  all  descriptions  of  men, 
are  the  most  accommodating  in  the  use  of  their  hands. 
They  worked  freely  with  the  boring  irons,  and  assisted  in 
all  the  operations  of  the  railways,  acting  by  turns  as  boat- 
men, seamen,  and  artificers.  We  had  no  such  character 
on  the  Bell  Rock  as  the  common  labourer.  All  the 
operations  of  this  department  were  cheerfully  undertaken 
by  the  seamen,  who,  both  on  the  rock  and  on  shipboard, 
were  the  inseparable  companions  of  every  work  connected 
with  the  erection  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse.  It  will 

*  Stevenson,  "  Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  pp.  222,  223. 


156  A  PICTURE  A  LA  REMBRANDT. 

naturally  be  supposed,  that  about  twenty-five  masons, 
occupied  with  their  picks  in  executing  and  preparing  the 
foundation  of  the  lighthouse,  in  the  course  of  a  tide  of 
about  three  hours,  would  make  a  considerable  impression 
upon  an  area  even  of  forty-two  feet  in  diameter.  But  in 
proportion  as  the  foundation  was  deepened,  the  rock  was 
found  to  be  much  more  hard  and  difficult  to  work,  while  the 
baling  and  pumping  of  water  became  much  more  trouble- 
some. A  joiner  was  kept  almost  constantly  employed  in 
fitting  the  picks  to  their  handles,  which,  as  well  as  the 
points  of  the  irons,  were  very  frequently  broken.  At 
eight  o'clock  the  water  overflowed  the  site  of  the  building, 
and  the  boats  left  the  rock  with  all  hands  for  breakfast." 

The  appearance  of  the  rock  at  this  time  was  very 
curious,  and  with  its  effects  of  light  and  shade  would  have 
pleased  the  eye  of  a  Rembrandt.  Its  surface  was  thronged 
with  men ;  the  two  forges  flamed,  one  above  the  other, 
like  Cyclopean  furnaces ;  while  the  anvils  thundered  with 
the  rebounding  clash  of  their  wooden  supports,  in  strange 
contrast  with  the  noisy  clamour  of  the  ocean-surge. 
During  the  night,  if  the  men  were  at  work,  the  spectacle 
presented  to  a  passing  vessel  was  of  the  most  picturesque 
character.  To  the  artificers  themselves,  the  effect  of 
extinguishing  the  torches  was  sometimes  startling,  and 
made  terrible  the  darkness  of  the  night ;  while  the  sea, 
lit  up  with  a  phosphoric  glow,  rolled  in  upon  the  rock 
like  waves  of  fire. 

As  the  enterprise  proceeded,  the  smiths  were  sometimes 
left  on  the  beacon  throughout  the  day,  and  the  din  of 
their  anvils  formed,  in  foggy  weather,  an  excellent  guide 
for  the  boats.  This  circumstance  confirmed  Mr.  Steven- 


LAYING  THE  FOUNDATION-STONE.  157 

son's  opinion  as  to  the  propriety  of  erecting  in  the  light- 
house large  bells  to  be  rung  by  machinery,  and  tolled  day 
and  night  during  the  continuance  of  hazy  weather,  so  as 
to  prevent  the  mariner  from  drawing  too  near  the  danger- 
ous rock. 

So  much  progress  had  been  made  in  the  preliminary 
operations  by  the  lOtlj.  of  July,  that  on  that  day  it  was 
determined  to  lay  the  foundation-stone.  The  ceremony 
attending  it  was  very  simple.  Mr.  Stevenson,  attended 
by  his  three  assistants,  applied  the  square,  the  level,  and 
the  mallet  in  due  form,  and  pronounced  the  following 
benediction  : — "  May  the  Great  Architect  of  the  Universe 
complete  and  bless  this  building!"  Three  earnest  cheers 
were  then  given,  and  success  to  the  future  operations  was 
drunk  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm. 

The  first  course  of  masonry  was  now  laid  down.  It  was 
only  one  foot  in  thickness,  yet  it  contained  508  cubic  feet 
of  granite  in  outward  casing;  8076  cubic  feet  of  Mylnefield 
stone  in  the  hearting ;  104  tons  of  solid  contents ;  132 
superficial  feet  of  hewing  in  the  face-work  ;  4519  super- 
ficial feet  of  hewing  in  the  beds,  joints,  and  joggles  ;  420 
lineal  feet  boring  of  trenail  holes  ;  378  feet  lineal  cutting 
for  wedges;  246  oaken  trenails;  378  oak  wedges  in  pairs. 

By  the  end  of  the  season  the  lighthouse  was  raised  to  a 
level  with  the  highest  part  of  the  margin  of  the  founda- 
tion-pit, or  about  5J  feet  above  the  lower  bed  of  the 
foundation-stone.  Work  was  discontinued  on  the  21st  of 
September. 

Months  rolled  away,  and  the  third  season  in  due  time 


158  REARING  THE  SUPERSTRUCTURE. 

came  round.  The  artificers  resumed  their  building  opera- 
tions, in  1809,  on  Saturday,  the  27th  of  May;  and  in 
spite  of  various  accidents  and  delays,  and  considerable 
obstruction  from  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  had  so 
far  progressed  by  the  end  of  June  as  to  be  able  to  continue 
their  labours  on  the  masonry  while  the  rock  was  under 
water.  On  the  8th  of  July,  it  was  remarked,  with  no 
small  demonstrations  of  joy,  that  the  tide  (a  neap  one) 
ceased  for  the  first  time  to  overflow  the  building  at  high- 
water.  Flags  were  accordingly  hoisted  at  every  vantage- 
point,  as  well  as  on  board  the  yacht,  the  tender,  the  stone- 
praams,  and  the  floating  light;  a  salute  of  three  guns 
was  fired;  and,  we  need  hardly  say,  the  loudest  and 
heartiest  cheers  pealed  through  the  air  and  mingled  with 
the  music  of  the  waves. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  follow,  step  by  step,  the  operations 
of  Stevenson  and  his  "undaunted  band."  Such  details 
would  possess  no  interest  for  the  general  reader ;  but  he 
will  understand  how  great  must  have  been  the  skill  and 
perseverance  of  the  engineer,  how  arduous  the  industry  of 
all  engaged,  when  we  record  that  by  the  25th  of  August 
the  solid  part  of  the  building  had  been  raised  to  the 
height  of  31 1  feet  above  the  rock,  and  of  17  feet  above 
high- water  of  spring  tides. 

Having  during  two  seasons  landed  and  built  up  more 
than  one  thousand  four  hundred  tons  of  stone,  while  the 
work  was  low  down  in  the  water,  and  before  the  beacon 
had  been  rendered  inhabitable,  and  as  not  more  than  seven 
hundred  tons  were  required  to  complete  the  masonry,  Mr. 
Stevenson  had  good  reason  to  conclude  that  another  season 


11 


Library. 

Of  CuTAlc? 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  BEACON.  161 

would  consummate  his  enterprise.  But  the  success  of 
the  work  absolutely  depending  on  the  stability  of  the 
beacon,  he  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  rock  in  the  course  of 
the  winter,  to  see  that  it  braved  unhurt  the  fury  of  winds 
and  waves. 

The  operations  of  the  fourth  and  last  season  were  com- 
menced on  the  10th  of  May.  The  artificers  took  per- 
manent possession  of  the  beacon,  which  consisted  at  this 
time  of  three  floors — one  occupied  as  the  cook-house  and 
provision  store  ;  the  second  divided  into  two  cabins,  one 
for  the  engineer  and  the  other  for  the  foreman ;  and  the 
third  provided  with  three  rows  or  tiers  of  beds,  capable  of 
accommodating  about  thirty  men.  Below  these  three 
floors  was  a  temporary  floor,  at  the  height  of  twenty-five 
feet  above  the  rock,  used  for  preparing  mortar,  and  for 
the  smith's  workshop.  The  beacon  was  connected  with 
the  lighthouse  by  a  bridge  of  timber. 

The  apartment  which  Mr.  Stevenson  himself  occupied 
he  has  described  in  characteristic  language. 

It  measured,  he  says,  not  more  than  four  feet  three 
inches  in  breadth  on  the  floor;  and  though,  from  the 
oblique  direction  of  the  beams  of  the  building,  it  widened 
towards  the  top,  yet  it  did  not  admit  of  the  full  exten- 
sion of  his  arms  when  he  stood  on  the  floor ;  while  its 
length  was  little  more  than  sufficient  for  suspending  a  cot- 
bed  during  the  night.  This  was  tied  up  to  the  roof  during 
the  day,  leaving  free  room  for  the  admission  of  occasional 
visitants.  His  folding-table  was  attached  with  hinges  im- 
mediately under  the  small  window  of  the  apartment,  and 
his  boots,  barometer,  thermometer,  portmanteau,  and  two 
or  three  camp-stools,  formed  the  bulk  of  his  movables.  His 


162  THE  LAST  COURSE  LAID. 

diet  being  plain,  the  paraphernalia  of  the  table  were  pro- 
portionately simple  ;  though  everything  had  the  appearance 
of  comfort,  and  even  of  neatness,  the  walls  being  covered 
with  green  cloth,  formed  into  panels  with  red  tape,  and 
his  bed  festooned  with  curtains  of  yellow  cotton-stuff.  If, 
in  speculating  upon  the  abstract  wants  of  man  in  such  a 
seclusion,  one  were  reduced  to  a  single  book,  the  Sacred 
Volume,  whether  considered  for  the  striking  diversity  of 
its  story,  the  morality  of  its  doctrines,  or  the  important 
truths  of  its  gospel,  would  have  proved  by  far  the  greatest 
treasure. 

In  the  early  part  of  July,  a  visit  was  paid  to  the  works 
by  Mrs.  Dickson,  the  only  daughter  and  surviving  rela- 
tive of  Smeaton,  the  great  engineer.  She  was  conveyed 
to  the  rock  on  board  the  Smeaton  tender,  which  had  been 
so  named  by  Stevenson  from  a  sense  of  the  deep  obliga- 
tion he  owed  to  the  labours  and  abilities  of  his  predeces- 
sor. It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  she  was  exceedingly 
gratified  by  her  visit. 

Passing  over  the  daily  details  of  the  work,  we  arrive  at 
the  29th  of  July,  as  one  of  the  epoch  days  of  the  under- 
taking. The  last  stone  was  landed  on  the  Bell  Rock,  and 
you  may  be  sure  such  an  occasion  was  duly  celebrated. 
On  the  30th,  the  last  course  (the  90th)  of  the  building 
was  laid,  finishing  the  exterior  wall,  and  the  engineer  then 
solemnly  pronounced  a  suitable  benediction  :  "  May  the 
Great  Architect  of  the  Universe,  under  whose  blessing  this 
perilous  work  has  prospered,  preserve  it  as  a  guide  to 
the  mariner  ! " 


NOTHING  NEGLECTED. 


163 


BKLL    ROCK   LIGHTHOUSE. 


With  the  minute  particulars  recorded  by  Stevenson  of 
the  completion  of  the  interior  of  the  building,  it  is  need- 
less to  weary  the  reader.  Their  technicalities  would  puzzle 
him,  and  in  their  prolonged  detail  we  can  find  nothing  to 
excite  his  interest.  He  will  understand  that  Stevenson 
neglected  nothing  which  could  ensure  the  safety  and 
efficiency  of  his  structure,  and  on  the  17th  of  December 
1810,  the  following  advertisement  intimated  to  the  public 
that  his  enterprise  had  been  successful,  and  that  thence- 


164  A  FORMAL  ANNOUNCEMENT. 

forth  the  perils  of  the  Bell  Rock  would  virtually  cease  to 
exist  : — 

"  A  lighthouse  having  been  erected  upon  the  Inch 
Cape,  or  Bell  Rock,  situated  at  the  entrance  of  the  Firths 
of  Forth  and  Tay,  in  north  latitude  56°  29'  and  west 
longitude  2°  22', — The  Commissioners  of  the  Northern 
Lighthouses  hereby  give  notice,  that  the  light  will  be  from 
oil,  with  reflectors,  placed  at  the  height  of  about  108  feet 
above  the  medium  level  of  the  sea.  The  light  will  be 
exhibited  on  the  night  of  Friday,  the  1st  day  of  February 
1811,  and  each  night  thereafter,  from  the  going  away  of 
daylight  in  the  evening  until  the  return  of  daylight  in  the. 
morning.  To  distinguish  this  light  from  others  on  the 
coast,  it  is  made  to  revolve  horizontally,  and  to  exhibit  a 
bright  light  of  the  natural  appearance,  and  a  red-coloured 
light  alternately,  both  respectively  attaining  their  greatest 
strength,  or  most  luminous  effect,  in  the  space  of  every 
four  minutes  ;  during  that  period  the  bright  light  will,  to 
a  distant  observer,  appear  like  a  star  of  the  first  magni- 
tude, which  after  attaining  its  full  strength  is  gradually 
eclipsed  to  total  darkness,  and  is  succeeded  by  the  red- 
coloured  light,  which  in  like  manner  increases  to  full 
strength,  and  again  diminishes  and  disappears.  The 
coloured  light,  however,  being  less  powerful,  may  not  be 
seen  for  a  time  after  the  bright  light  is  first  observed. 
During  the  continuance  of  foggy  weather,  and  showers  of 
snow,  a  bell  will  be  tolled  by  machinery,  night  and  day, 
at  intervals  of  half  a  minute." 

It  was  found  that  this  light  could  be  clearly  seen  and 
recognized,  in  fair  weather,  at  a  distance  of  seven 
leagues. 


THE  LIGHTHOUSE  IN  A  STORM.  165 

The  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,  thus  happily  completed,  is 
a  circular  building,  42  feet  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and 
13  feet  at  the  top.  The  masonry  is  100  feet  high,  and 
the  whole  structure,  including  the  light-room,  115  feet. 
From  the  entrance  door,  a  circular  stair  leads  to  the  first 
apartment,  which  is  used  as  a  store-room.  Wooden  steps 
ascend  to  the  other  apartments,  which  are  appropriated  to 
the  light-keepers,  and  to  the  appurtenances  of  the  light- 
ing apparatus.  The  light-room,  which  is  formed  of  cast 
iron,  and  glazed  with  polished  glass,  is  octagonal  in  shape, 
12  feet  in  diameter,  and  15  feet  in  height.  It  is  covered 
with  a  dome,  and  terminates  in  a  ball. 

The  manner  in  which  this  noble  structure  braves  the 
assault  of  waters  has  been  graphically  described  by  Mr. 
Stevenson.  It  is  during  the  winter's  storms,  he  says,  and 
when  viewed  from  the  Forfarshire  coast,  that  it  appears  in 
one  of  its  most  interesting  aspects,  standing  proudly 
among  the  waves,  'while  the  sea  around  it  is  in  the 
wildest  state  of  agitation.  The  light-keepers  do  not  seem 
to  be  in  motion,  but  the  scene  is  by  no  means  still,  as  the 
clang  and  clamour,  the  motion  and  fury  of  the  waves,  are 
incessant.  The  seas  rise  in  the  most  surprising  fashion 
to  the  height  of  about  seventy  feet  above  the  rock,  and 
after  expending  their  force  in  a  perpendicular  direction, 
fall  in  foaming  masses  round  the  base  of  the  lighthouse, 
while  considerable  portions  of  the  spray  seem  to  adhere, 
as  it  were,  to  the  building,  and  gather  down  its  sides  in 
the  condition  of  froth  as  white  as  snow.  Some  of  the 
great  waves  burst  and  are  expended  upon  the  rock  before 
they  reach  the  lighthouse ;  while  others  strike  the  base, 
and  embracing  the  walls,  meet  on  the  western  side,  where 


166  MANAGEMENT  OF  THE  LIGHTHOUSE. 

the  violent  collision  churns  the  eddying  waters  into  the 
wildest  foam. 


The  management  of  the  Bell  Rock  lighthouse  is  pro- 
vided for  as  follows : — The  nearest  town  is  Arbroath, 
about  eleven  miles  distant,  where  a  cutter  called  the 
Pharos  is  stationed  as  the  lighthouse  tender.  Once  a 
fortnight,  or  in  the  course  of  each  set  of  spring-tides,  she 
visits  the  rock,  to  relieve  the  light-keepers  and  replenish 
their  store  of  provisions  and  fuel.  The  keepers  are  four 
in  number,  three  of  whom  are  always  on  duty,  while  one 
is  ashore.  If  the  weather  be  favourable,  each  light-keeper 
is  six  weeks  on  the  rock,  and  a  fortnight  on  land  with  his 
family.  The  pay  is  from  £50  to  £60  per  annum,  with  a 
stated  allowance  of  bread,  beef,  butter,  oatmeal,  vegetables, 
and  small  beer,  and  fourpence  a  day  extra  for  tea.  A  suit 
of  uniform  is  also  provided  once  in  three  years. 

The  watches  in  the  light-room  are  relieved  with  as  much 
punctuality  as  on  board  a  man-of-war,  no  keeper  being 
allowed  to  leave  until  his  successor  presents  himself,  under 
the  penalty  of  immediate  dismissal.  To  ensure  the  strictest 
regularity  in  this  respect,  a  timepiece  is  placed  in  each  light- 
room,  and  bells  are  hung  in  the  bed-rooms  of  the  dwelling- 
houses,  which,  being  connected  by  mechanical  appliances 
with  the  lighthouse,  can  be  rung  as  necessity  requires. 

At  Arbroath,  as  at  other  stations,  the  light-keepers' 
dwellings  are  very  neatly  built  and  comfortably  arranged, 
each  having  its  little  garden  attached.  There  are  also 
suitable  storehouses  provided,  a  room  for  the  master  and 
crew  of  the  lighthouse  tender,  and  a  signal-tower  fifty  feet 
high,  on  whose  summit  a  small  observatory  is  erected, 


A  CURIOUS  ACCIDENT.  167 

with  an  excellent  achromatic  telescope,  a  flag-staff,  and  a 
copper  signal-ball  measuring  eighteen  feet  in  diameter. 
A  similar  ball  crowns  the  lighthouse  dome,  and  by  these 
means  daily  signals  are  exchanged,  to  signify  that  all  is 
well.  Should  the  ball  at  the  top  be  allowed  to  remain 
down,  as  is  the  case  when  particular  supplies  are  needed, 
or  either  of  the  light-keepers  have  been  seized  with  illness, 
assistance  is  immediately  dispatched  in  the  tender. 

The  total  cost  of  the  lighthouse,  of  the  buildings  at 
Arbroath,  of  the  tender,  and  the  first  year's  stores,  was 
£61,350. 

A  curious  accident  is  recorded  in  connection  with  the 
lighthouse  as  having  occurred  on  the  9th  of  February 
1832,  about  ten  o'clock  P.M. 

A  large  herring-gull  flew  against  one  of  the  south- 
eastern mullions  of  the  light-room  with  so  much  violence 
that  two  of  the  polished  plates  of  glass,  measuring  each 
about  two  feet  square"  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  thick,  were 
dashed  to  atoms,  and  scattered  over  the  floor,  to  the  great 
alarm  of  the  keeper  on  watch,  and  of  his  two  associates, 
who  rushed  instantly  into  the  light-room.  It  happened, 
fortunately,  that  although  one  of  the  red-shaded  sides  of 
the  reflector-frame  was  passing  in  its  revolution  at  the 
moment,  the  fragments  were  so  minute  that  no  injury  was 
done  to  the  valuable  red  glass.  The  gull  was  found  to 
measure  five  feet  from  tip  to  tip  of  its  expanded  wings. 
A  large  herring  was  found  in  its  gullet,  and  in  its  throat 
a  piece  of  plate  glass  about  an  inch  in  length.* 

Before  quitting  the  subject  of  the  Bell  Rock  Light- 
house, it  is  desirable  we  should  refer  to  another  of  Mr. 

*  "  Smeaton  and  Lighthouses,"  p.  97. 


168  THE  CARR  ROCK. 

Stevenson's  achievements,  the  Beacon  on  the  Carr  rock. 
The  Carr  is  the  seaward  extremity  of  a  sunken  reef,  visible 
only  at  low  water,  which  extends  about  two  miles  from 
the  shore  of  Fifeness,  on  the  northern  side  of  the  mouth 
of  the  Forth  estuary.  Its  position  is  unusually  dangerous, 
as  it  lies  in  the  track  of  shipping  ascending  and  descend- 
ing Scotland's  great  eastern  river.  In  the  course  of  nine 
years  it  proved  fatal  to  no  fewer  than  sixteen  vessels. 
As  all  attempts  had  failed  to  mark  its  position  by  a  float- 
ing buoy,  the  authorities  resolved  to  erect  a  beacon  of 
masonry  upon  it,  and  in  1813  the  difficult  work  was  com- 
menced under  Mr.  Stevenson's  direction.  The  dimensions 
of  the  Carr  are  only  23  feet  in  breadth  by  15  feet  in 
length,  and  it  was  impossible,  therefore,  to  obtain  a  base 
for  a  building  of  greater  diameter  than  18  feet. 

Five  seasons  were  spent  in  the  erection  of  the  beacon, 
so  many  were  the  obstacles  which  the  workmen  had  to 
conquer,  especially  from  the  prevalence  of  rolling  seas  and 
stormy  winds.  In  the  fifth  year,  when  the  whole  of  the 
masonry  had  been  completed,  a  November  hurricane  swept 
away  the  upper  part  of  the  structure.  A  modification  of 
the  original  design  was  then  adopted  ;  and  on  the  courses 
of  masonry  left  intact  by  wind  and  waves  six  columns  of 
cast  iron  were  planted,  terminating  in  a  cast  iron  ball  of 
three  feet  in  diameter,  which  rose  about  twenty-five  feet 
above  the  average  sea-level.  The  whole  was  completed 
in  the  sixth  season  (September  1821).  * 

The  Carr  rock  is  about  six  miles  north-north-east  of 
the  Isle  of  May  lighthouse,  and  twelve  miles  south-west 
of  the  Bell  Rock. 

*  Stevenson's  "  Account  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,"  pp.  52-57. 


APPARENT  LIGHTS.  169 

In  a  recent  pamphlet,*  Mr.  Thomas  Stevenson,  the  en- 
gineer to  the  Board  of  Northern  Lights — who  has  an 
hereditary  as  well  as  an  individual  claim  to  be  heard  on 
all  matters  of  this  kind — has  suggested  various  modes  of 
lighting  beacons  and  buoys.  As  he  observes,  the  import- 
ance of  raising  them  to  the  rank  of  illuminated  night- 
marks  must  be  apparent  to  all  who  know  anything  of 
coast  navigation ;  and  he  is  certainly  justified  in  thinking 
that  the  subject  is  worthy  of  more  attention  than  has 
hitherto  been  given  to  it. 

He  speaks,  in  the  first  place,  of  apparent  or  borrowed 
lights,  where  a  ray  is  thrown  on  a  buoy  or  beacon — as  in 
the  case  of  the  Arnish  Rock,  referred  to  on  page  274, — 
from  a  neighbouring  lighthouse.  The  only  other  existing 
example  of  an  apparent  light  is  to  be  found  at  the  harbour 
of  Odessa,  in  the  Black  Sea.  It  was  constructed  in  1866, 
and  is  situated  three  hundred  feet  from  the  shore. 

Mr.  Stevenson's  next  suggestion  applies  to  dipping  lights 
for  sunk  rocks,  where  it  would  be  difficult  or  impossible  to 
erect  a  beacon  for  containing  the  necessary  optical  apparatus. 
Here  he  would  so  arrange  the  lamp  and  reflectors  of  the  light- 
house as  to  dip  vertically,  and  thus  project  a  cone  of  rays 
upon  the  sea  for  a  considerable  area  round  the  secret  danger. 
On  seeing  the  illuminated  wave-space  the  mariner  would 
alter  his  course,  and  give  the  sunken  rock  a  "  wide  berth." 

The  other  methods  proposed  by  Mr.  Stevenson  are  : — 

The  conduction  either  of  voltaic,  magnetic,  or  frictional 
electricity,  singly  or  combined,  to  the  buoy  or  beacon, 
through  wires,  submarine,  or,  where  practicable,  suspended 
in  the  air,  so  as  to  produce  a  spark  either  with  or  without 

*  Stevenson,  "Proposals  for  the  Illumination  of  Beacons  and  Buoys "  (ed.  1870). 


1 70  IMPR  0  YEMENI  OF  BE  A  CONS. 

vacuum  tubes,  or  by  means  of  an  electro-magnet  and  the 
deflagration  of  mercury. 

The  conduction  of  gas  from  the  shore  in  submarine  pipes. 

Self-acting  electrical  apparatus,  produced  by  the  action 
of  sea-water  or  otherwise  at  the  beacon  itself,  so  as  to  re- 
quire no  connection  with  the  shore. 

And,  finally,  Mr.  Stevenson  recommends  different  appli- 
cations of  sound,  so  as  to  produce  distinct  and  powerfully 
audible  warnings  during  the  prevalence  of  a  thick  fog  or 
mist : — 

The  propagation  of  sound  during  fogs  through  pipes 
communicating  with  the  shore,*  or  the  origination  of  sound 
at  the  beacon  or  buoy  itself,  by  condensing  the  column  of  air, 
or  by  acting  on  a  column  of  water  contained  in  the  pipe. 

Bells  rung  by  electricity.  Mr.  Wilde,  of  Manchester, 
states  that  bells  twelve  or  eighteen  inches  in  diameter, 
placed  on  different  beacons,  and  as  far  off  as  ten  miles  from 
the  shore,  could  be  tolled  a  hundred  times  a-minute  by 
means  of  a  three  and  a  half  or  four  inch  electro -magnetic 
machine  worked  by  an  engine  of  about  two-horse  power. 

And,  finally,  bells  may  be  rung  by  the  simple  pressure 
of  the  waves  through  the  agency  of  a  float,  which  would 
sink  or  rise  according  as  the  tide  sunk  or  rose.  This  was 
proposed  for  the  beacon  at  the  Carr  Rock  by  the  late  Mr. 
Stevenson  in  1810. 

By  the  adoption  of  one  or  other  of  these  suggestions, 
according  to  the  conditions  of  the  locality,  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  the  subsidiary  illumination  of  our  shores  and  their 
contiguous  waters  would  be  very  considerably  improved. 

*  In  one  of  the  Paris  water-pipes,  3120  feet  long,  M.  Biot  was  able  to  keep 
up  a  conversation,  in  a  very  low  tone,  with  a  person  at  the  other  end. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SKERRYVORE  LIGHTHOUSE. 

[HE  full  details  which  we  have  given  of  the 
erection  of  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse  will 
render  unnecessary  any  elaborate  account  of 
the  mode  of  construction  of  later  edifices. 
There  are  some,  however,  which  we  are  unwilling  to  pass 
over  without  at  least  a  cursory  notice,  owing  either  to 
their  romantic  position  or  to  their  special  interest  as 
examples  of  engineering  skill.  One  of  the  most  important 
of  these  is  the  Lighthouse  of  the  Skerryvore,  situated  on  a 
reef  which,  in  all  leading  features,  is  a  counterpart  of  the 
Bell  Rock.  It  is  placed  in  the  same  parallel  of  latitude, 
and  occupies  the  identical  position  on  the  west  coast  of 
Scotland  which  the  latter  occupies  on  the  eastern.  Nor 
was  it  of  old  less  fatal  or  less  ominous  to  the  mariner,  but 
annually  exacted  its  tribute  of  precious  lives  and  wrecked 
vessels.  A  few  minutes  sufficed  for  the  total  loss  of  any 
unfortunate  ship  which  dashed  against  the  gneiss  crags  of 
the  Skerryvore,  and  its  rent  and  shattered  timbers  were 
quickly  carried  by  the  tide  to  the  fishermen  of  the  island  of 
Tyree.  Not  that  this  formidable  memorial  of  past  vol- 


172  A  DIFFICULT  WORK. 

canic  convulsions  was  totally  submerged  —  some  of  its 
higher  points  rose  ahove  the  level  of  the  highest  tides  : 
but  the  extent  of  its  foundations  was  considerable  ;  and 
even  in  the  summer  season  latent  dangers  beset  the  diffi- 
cult channel  between  its  eastern  extremity  and  the  island 
of  Tyree,  which  lies  about  eleven  miles  distant.* 

For  various  reasons  the  attention  of  the  Commissioners 
of  Northern  Lights  had  been  early  directed  to  this  formi- 
dable reef ;  and  in  1814  they  had  determined  to  mark  its 
locality  by  the  erection  of  a  lighthouse.  It  was  visited  in 
this  same  year  by  some  of  the  members  of  the  Commis- 
sion, accompanied  by  one  whose  name  alone  is  sufficient  to 
render  the  visit  ever  memorable  —  Sir  Walter  Scott.  He 
was  much  struck  with  the  desolateness  of  the  situation, 
which  he  thought  infinitely  surpassed  that  of  the  Bell 
Rock  or  the  Eddystone. 

Owing,  perhaps,  to  the  difficulty  of  the  enterprise,  it 
was  deferred  until  the  autumn  of  1834,  when  Mr.  Alan 
Stevenson  was  authorized  to  commence  a  preliminary 
inspection,  which  he  did  not  complete  until  1835.  This 
difficulty  proceeded  not  only  from  the  position,  but  from 
the  nature  of  the  reef  itself. 

It  is  true  that  the  distance  from  the  mainland  was  three 
miles  less  in  the  case  of  Skerry vore  than  in  that  of  the 
Bell  Rock  ;  but  the  barren  and  over-populated  island  of 
Tyree  did  not  offer  the  resources  of  the  eastern  coast, 
nor  a  safe  and  commodious  port  like  that  of  Arbroath. 
The  engineers  were  therefore  compelled  to  erect,  at  the 
nearest  and  most  favourable  point  of  Tyree,  a  quay  and  a 
small  harbour,  with  temporary  cabins  for  the  workmen,  and 

*  Alan  Stevenson,  "  Account  of  the  Skerryvore  Lighthouse  "  (ed.  ISIS1,  p  41. 


THE  SKERRYVORE  ROCK.  173 

storehouses  of  every  kind  ;  all  whose  materials,  excepting 
only  stone  —  and  even  the  supply  of  that  failed  after 
awhile — required  to  be  transported  from  distant  parts. 

The  first  and  most  embarrassing,  perhaps,  of  the  nume- 
rous questions  which  present  themselves  to  the  engineer 
when  entering  upon  the  construction  of  a  lighthouse,  are 
those  of  the  height  and  the  mass.  In  the  days  of  Smeaton, 
when  the  best  light  in  use  was  that  of  common  candles, 
the  elevation  beyond  a  certain  point  could  not  be  of  any 
utility ;  while  in  1835  the  application  of  the  reflector  and 
the  lens,  by  assisting  in  the  extension  and  diffusion  of  the 
light,  rendered,  on  the  contrary,  a  considerable  elevation 
both  necessary  and  desirable. 

It  was  therefore  decided  that  the  height  of  the  Skerry- 
vore  should  be  135  feet  above  the  highest  tides,  so  as  to 
command  a  horizon  visible  for  a  radius  of  eighteen  miles. 
The  diameter  of  the  base  was  fixed  at  42  feet,  and  that  of 
the  topmost  story  at  16  feet ;  consequently  the  masonry 
of  the  tower  would  be  double  that  of  the  Bell  Rock,  and 
four  and  a  half  times  that  of  the  Eddystone. 

Another  peculiarity  distinguishes  the  Skerryvore  from 
the  Bell  Rock.  The  sandstone  of  the  latter  is  wave- 
worn,  and  broken  up  into  a  thousand  rugged  inequalities  : 
the  action  of  the  sea  on  the  igneous  formation  of  the 
Skerryvore  has,  on  the  contrary,  communicated  to  it  the 
appearance  and  polish  of  a  mass  of  dark-coloured  crystal . 
It  is  so  compact  and  smooth  that  the  foreman  of  the 
masons,  when  he  landed  on  it,  said  it  was  like  climbing 
up  the  neck  of  a  bottle.  Moreover,  notwithstanding  its 
durability,  the  gneiss  of  Skerryvore  is  excavated  into 
caverns,  which  considerably  limit  the  area  adapted  for 


174  A    VIOLENT  STORM. 

building  operations.  One  of  these  caverns,  we  are  told,  ter- 
minates in  a  narrow  spherical  chamber,  with  an  upper  open- 
ing ;  through  which,  from  time  to  time,  springs  a  bright, 
luminous  shaft  of  water,  20  feet  high,  and  white  as  snow, 
except  when  the  sun  wreathes  it  with  a  thousand  rainbows. 

Mr.  Alan  Stevenson  commenced  actual  operations  in 
1838  by  the  erection  of  a  provisional  barrack  on  piles,  at 
such  a  height  as  to  be  beyond  the  reach  of  all  average 
tides.  This  was  designed  to  shelter  the  men  at  night, 
saving  them  the  voyage  to  and  from  the  mainland  ;  and 
also  to  accommodate  them  when  their  work  was  suspended 
by  bad  weather.  The  first  erection  was  swept  away  in  a 
great  gale  on  the  night  of  November  3 ;  but  happily  the 
labours  of  the  season  were  then  ended,  and  there  were  no 
occupants.  On  this  occasion  the  grindstone  was  deposited 
in  a  hole  36  feet  deep ;  the  iron  anvil  was  transported 
13  yards  from  the  place  where  it  had  been  left ;  the  iron 
stanchions  were  bent  and  twisted  like  corkscrews ;  and, 
finally,  a  stone  weighing  half  a  hundred-weight,  lying  at 
the  bottom  of  an  excavation,  was  carried  to  the  highest  sur- 
face of  the  rock. 

Conquering  all  feelings  of  discouragement,  Mr.  Stevenson, 
in  the  following  year,  renewed  his  operations.  A  second 
barrack  was  completed  by  the  3rd  of  September.  It  was 
built  of  timber,  and  consisted  of  three  stories  :  the  first  was 
appropriated  as  a  kitchen  ;  the  second  divided  into  two 
cabins,  one  for  the  engineer  and  one  for  the  master  of  the 
works;  and  the  third  belonged  to  the  thirty  workmen 
engaged  in  the  erection  of  the  lighthouse. 


LA  YING  THE  FO  UNDA  TION.  1 75 

A  more  remarkable  habitation  than  this  was  never 
dwelt  in  by  human  beings.  It  was  an  oasis  in  a  wide 
waste  of  waters — a  rude  asylum  suspended  between  sea 
and  sky.  Perched  forty  feet  above  the  wave-beaten  crag, 
Mr.  Stevenson,  with  a  goodly  company  of  thirty  men, 
in  this  singular  abode,  spent  many  a  weary  day  and  night 
at  those  times  when  the  sea  prevented  a  descent  to  the 
rock ;  anxiously  looking  for  supplies  from  the  shore,  and 
earnestly  longing  for  a  change  of  weather  favourable  to 
the  recommencement  of  the  works.  For  miles  around 
nothing  could  be  seen  but  white  foaming  breakers,  and 
nothing  heard  but  howling  winds  and  lashing  waves. 

In  the  erection  of  the  lighthouse  itself,  the  first  import- 
ant operation,  and  one  which  occupied  the  whole  of  the 
season  of  1839— from  the  6th  of  May  to  the  30th  of  Sep- 
tember— was  the  excavation  of  a  suitable  foundation. 
When  building  the  Eddystone,  Mr.  Smeaton  had  been 
compelled  to  take  into  consideration  the  peculiar  structure 
of  the  rock,  and  to  adapt  his  lower  courses  of  masonry,  as 
we  have  seen,  to  a  series  of  gradually  ascending  terraces 
formed  by  the  successive  ledges  of  the  rock  itself.  This 
difficult  and  expensive  process  was  rendered  unnecessary 
by  the  geodesical  formation  of  the  Skerryvore.  Mr.  Steven- 
son, therefore,  began  work  by  hollowing  out  a  base  of 
forty  feet  diameter — the  largest  area  he  could  obtain  with- 
out any  change  of  level.  This  portion  of  his  enterprise 
occupied  twenty  men  for  two  hundred  and  seventeen  days ; 
two  hundred  and  ninety-six  charges  of  gunpowder  were 
made  use  of ;  and  two  thousand  tons  of  debris  and  refuse 
were  cast  into  the  sea.  The  mining  or  blasting  operations 

(262)  12 


176  A  DREARY  PROSPECT. 

were  not  carried  on  without  great  difficulty,  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  any  shelter  for  the  miners,  who  were  unable 
to  retire  more  than  ten  or  twelve  paces,  at  the  furthest, 
from  the  spot  where  the  charge  was  fired.  The  quantities 
of  gunpowder,  therefore,  were  measured  with  the  utmost 
nicety  ;  a  few  grains  too  many,  and  the  whole  company  of 
engineers  and  workmen  would  have  been  blown  into  the 
air.  Mr.  Stevenson  himself  generally  fired  the  train,  or  it 
was  done  under  his  superintendence  and  in  his  presence ; 
and  from  the  precautions  suggested  by  his  skill  and  pru- 
dence, happily  no  accident  occurred. 

During  the  first  month  of  their  residence  in  the  barrack, 
he  informs  us  *  that  he  and  his  men  suffered  much  incon- 
venience from  the  inundation  of  their  apartments.  On 
one  occasion,  moreover,  they  were  a  fortnight  without 
receiving  any  communication  from  the  mainland,  or  from 
the  steam-tug  attached  to  the  works  ;  and  during  the 
greater  part  of  this  time  they  saw  nothing  but  white 
plains  of  foam  spreading  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
and  the  only  sounds  were  the  whistling  of  the  wind  and 
the  thunderous  roar  of  the  billows,  which  ever  and  anon 
swelled  into  such  a  tumult  that  it  was  almost  impossible 
to  hear  one  another  speak.  We  may  well  conceive  that  a 
scene  so  awful,  with  the  ruins  of  their  first  barrack  lying 
within  a  few  feet  of  them,  was  calculated  to  fill  their 
minds  with  the  most  discouraging  apprehensions.  Mr. 
Stevenson  records,  in  simple  but  graphic  language,  the 
indefinite  sensations  of  terror  with  which  he  was  aroused 
one  night  when  a  tremendous  wave  broke  against  the 
timber  structure,  and  all  the  occupants  of  the  chamber 

*  A.  Stevenson,  "Account  of  the  Skerryvore  Lighthouse,"  p.  143. 


DAY  BY  DAY.  1~7 

beneath  him  involuntarily  uttered  a  *<»rribie  c*-/.  They 
sprang  from  their  beds  in  the  conviction  that  the  whole 
building  had  been  precipitated  to  the  depths  of  ocean. 

Up  to  the  20th  of  June  no  materials  had  been  landed 
on  the  rock  but  iron  and  timber  ;  next  arrived  the  great 
stones,  all  ready  cut  and  hewn,  and  weighing  not  less  than 
eight  hundred  tons.  But  the  disembarkation  of  these  very 
essential  supplies  entailed  serious  risks,  which  were  renewed 
with  every  block,  for  the  loss  of  a  single  one  would  have 
delayed  the  works.  At  length  the  foundation-stone  was 
fixed  in  its  place  ;  the  Duke  of  Argyle  presiding  over  the 
ceremony,  accompanied  by  his  duchess,  his  daughter,  and 
a  numerous  retinue. 

The  summer  of  1840  was  a  summer  of  tempests.  Never- 
theless, in  the  midst  of  incessant  fears,  and  dangers,  and 
wearying  accidents,  and  every  kind  of  privation,  the  de- 
voted band  of  workers  prosecuted  their  noble  enterprise ; 
and  such,  says  Mr.  Stevenson,  was  their  profound  sense  of 
duty — such  the  desire  of  every  one  that  full  and  complete 
success  should  crown  their  efforts — that  not  a  man  expressed 
a  wish  to  retreat  from  the  battle-field  where  he  was  exposed 
to  so  many  enemies. 

The  day's  occupations  were  thus  divided.  At  half-past 
three  in  the  morning  they  were  awakened,  and  from  four 
o'clock  to  eight  they  laboured  without  a  pause  ;  at  eight 
they  were  allowed  half  an  hour  for  dinner.  Work  Was 
then  resumed,  and  continued  for  seven  or  eight,  or,  if  it 
were  very  urgent,  even  for  nine  hours.  Next  came  supper, 
which  was  eaten  leisurely  and  comfortably  in  the  cool  of 
the  evening.  This  prolonged  toil  produced  a  continual 


GOD  I.V  ALL  THINGS. 


SKERRY VORE    LIGHTHOUSE. 


sleepiness,  so  that  those  who  stood  still  for  any  time  invari- 
ably fell  off  into  a  profound  slumber ;  which,  adds  Mr. 
Stevenson,  frequently  happened  to  himself  during  break- 
fast and  dinner.  Several  times,  also,  he  woke  up,  pen 
in  hand,  with  a  word  begun  on  the  page  of  his  diary. 
Life,  however,  on  the  desert  rock  of  the  Skerry vore  seems 
not  to  have  been  without  its  peculiar  pleasures.  The 
grandeur  of  ocean's  angry  outbursts — the  hoarse  murmur 
of  the  waters — the  shrill  harsh  cries  of  the  sea-birds  who 
incessantly  hovered  round  them — the  splendour  of  a  sea 
polished  like  a  mirror — the  glory  of  a  cloudless  sisy — the 
solemn  silence  of  azure  nights,  sometimes  sown  thick  with 


A  MASS  OF  MASONRY.  179 

stars,  sometimes  illuminated  by  the  full  moon,  —  were 
scenes  of  a  panorama  as  novel  as  it  was  wonderful,  and 
which  could  not  fail  to  awaken  thought  even  in  the  dullest 
and  most  indifferent  minds.  Consider,  too — when  we  think 
of  Mr.  Stevenson  and  his  devoted  company — the  continual 
emotions  which  they  experienced  of  hope  and  anxiety; 
the  necessity,  on  the  part  of  their  leader,  of  incessant 
watchfulness,  and  of  readiness  of  resource  to  grapple  with 
every  difficulty ;  the  gratification  with  which  each  man 
regarded  the  gradual  growth,  under  his  laborious  hands, 
of  a  noble  and  beneficent  work ;  and  we  think  the  reader 
will  admit  that  life  upon  the  Skerry  vore,  if  it  had  its  troubles 
and  its  perils,  was  not  without  its  rewards  and  happiness. 

In  July  1841  the  masonry  had  been  carried  to  an  ele- 
vation which  rendered  impossible  the  further  employment 
of  the  stationary  crane.  As  a  substitute  the  balance  crane 
was  introduced — that  beautiful  machine,  invented  at  the 
Bell  Rock,  which  rises  simultaneously  with  the  edifice  it 
assists  to  raise. 

Thanks  to  this  new  auxiliary,  the  mass  of  masonry 
completed  in  the  season  of  1841  amounted  to  30,000 
cubic  feet,  more  than  double  the  mass  of  the  Eddystone, 
and  exceeding  that  of  the  Bell  Rock  lighthouse.  Such 
was  the  delicate  precision  observed  in  the  previous  shaping 
and  fitting  of  the  stones,  that  after  they  had  been  regu- 
larly fixed  in  their  respective  places,  the  diameter  of  each 
course  did  not  vary  one-sixth  of  an  inch  from  the  pre- 
scribed dimensions,  and  the  height  was  only  one  inch  more 
than  had  been  determined  by  the  architect  in  his  previous 
calculations. 


180  THE  LIGHTHOUSE  COMPLETED. 

On  the  21st  of  July,  the  steamer  saluted  with  its  one  gun 
the  disembarkation  of  the  last  cargo  of  stones  intended  for 
the  lighthouse.  On  the  10th  of  August  the  lantern  arrived, 
which  was  hauled  up  to  its  position,  and  duly  fixed  ;  a  tem- 
porary shelter  from  the  weather  being  also  erected  for  it. 

The  summer  of  1843  was  devoted  to  pointing  the  ex- 
ternal masonry — a  wearisome  operation,  conducted  by 
means  of  suspended  scaffolds — and  to  the  completion  of 
the  internal  arrangements.  And  at  length,  on  the  1st  of 
February  1844,  the  welcome  light  of  the  Skerry vore  pharos 
blazed  across  the  waters  of  the  stormy  sea. 

The  illuminating  apparatus  adopted  was  the  dioptric, 
and  identical  in  all  respects  with  the  apparatus  supplied 
a  few  years  before  to  the  Tower  of  Cordova.  It  is  a  re- 
volving light,  whose  full  brilliancy  is  apparent  only  once 
in  a  minute.  Elevated  150  feet  above  the  sea  level,  it  is 
visible  at  a  distance  of  eighteen  miles. 

Such  is  the  stirring  history  of  the  Skerryvore  lighthouse. 
The  reader  will  think,  perhaps,  that  it  differs  but  little  from 
that  of  the  Bell  Rock  and  the  Eddystone.  Nevertheless  we 
could  not  pass  over  it  in  silence,  for  it  completed  a  work 
which  may  fitly  be  called  "  the  art  of  building  lighthouses 
in  the  open  sea  " — an  art  entirely  unknown  before  the  days 
of  Smeaton,  and  Robert  and  Alan  Stevenson — three  men 
of  whom  Ocean,  if  it  could  translate  into  words  the 
"  rhythmical  smile  "  of  its  summer  calm,  or  the  harsher 
accents  of  its  equinoctial  wrath,  might  say  with  the  poet, — 

"  Great  I  must  call  them,  for  they  conquered  me  :" 


CHAPTER  V. 

NORTH  UNST,  1854. SUNDERLAND,  1841. 

JHE  erection  of  the  North  Unst  tower,  completed 
in  1854,  offered  no  difficulties  comparable  to 
those  which  tested  the  skill  and  perseverance 
of  the  builder  of  the  Bell  Rock;  yet,  not  the 
less,  it  is  interesting  as  one  of  the  most  important  results 
obtained  by  our  English  engineers.  As  our  illustration  shows, 
it  stands  rooted  on  an  isolated  reef,  near  the  Shetland  Isles, 
whose  elevation  above  the  sea  is  estimated  at  200  feet. 

Its  northern  front  is  almost  perpendicular,  and  exposed 
to  the  most  violent  assaults  of  Ocean ;  on  the  south  the 
declivity  is  less  abrupt,  but  scarcely  easier  of  access ;  and 
its  summit  is  only  of  breadth  sufficient  to  receive  the 
foundation  of  the  tower.  This  is  50  feet  in  height,  and 
contains,  besides  the  light-room,  a  sleeping  chamber,  a 
kitchen,  and  a  store-room.  At  its  base  is  built  an  addi- 
tional store-room  for  the  supplies  of  oil,  charcoal,  and  fresh 
water.  It  is  only  accessible  in  fine  weather. 

The  North  Unst  lighthouse  is  provided  with  a  staff  of 
four  keepers,  whose  habitations  are  situated  on  the  island 
of  Unst  (one  of  the  Shetland  group),  about  four  miles  distant. 


182  REMOVING  A  HOUSE. 

It  has  justly  been  said  that  one  of  the  strangest  opera- 
tions recorded  in  the  history  of  lighthouses  is,  undoubtedly, 
the  work  undertaken  and  successfully  accomplished  at 
Sunderland  in  1841.  Some  important  improvements  had 
been  effected  in  its  harbour ;  and  a  jetty  had  been  con- 
structed which  rendered  useless  the  old  pier,  and  the  light- 
house built  upon  it.  Consequently,  preparations  were 
made  for  the  demolition  of  the  latter.  An  engineer,  of 
the  name  of  Murray,  however,  conceived  the  idea  of  trans- 
porting the  monument,  in  one  piece,  to  the  intended  site 
of  the  new  lighthouse,  a  distance  of  about  475  feet.  His 
proposal  was  favourably  received  ;  for  the  removal  of  great 
masses  of  masonry,  in  Europe  at  least,  is  an  enterprise 
which  always  excites  a  very  general  curiosity.  In  the 
United  States,  that  "  go-ahead "  land  of  bold  projects 
and  daring  inventions,  such  enterprises  are  more  frequent, 
and  the  process  has  been  several  times  applied  to  houses 
(as  recently  at  Chicago)  and  factories,  for  which  it  was 
desirable  to  secure  a  more  convenient  or  a  securer  site. 
In  such  cases  a  series  of  openings  is  made  in  the  walls, 
and  through  these  openings  beams  are  introduced,  united 
together  by  cross  beams  so  as  to  form  a  kind  of  flooring ; 
then  the  lowest  part  of  the  base  of  the  walls  is  destroyed, 
leaving  the  building  to  rest  upon  the  timber  platform, 
which  is  afterwards  set  in  motion  by  a  system  of  grooves. 

So  far  as  concerned  the  Sunderland  lighthouse,  the 
enterprise  was  much  more  arduous ;  for  its  narrow  base 
supported  a  burden  relatively  more  considerable  than  that 
of  a  house,  and  one  which  apparently  must  crush  all 
machines  interposed  between  it  and  the  ground.  The 
weight  of  the  lighthouse  was  757,000  Ibs. ;  it  consisted 


.1  LIGHTHOUSE  MIGRATING.  185 

of  an  octagonal  tower  64  feet  high,  and  15  feet  in  diameter 
at  the  base.  We  must  add  that  the  new  pier  was  19 
inches  higher  than  the  old,  and  that  its  direction  was 
entirely  different;  which  rendered  it  necessary  that  the 
building  should  be  turned  upon  its  axis,  at  the  same  time 
that  it  had  to  traverse  a  broken  line,  one  of  whose  sections, 
from  north  to  south,  measured  28  feet,  and  the  other,  from 
west  to  east,  447  feet. 

The  accompanying  illustration  will  afford  an  idea  of 
the  manner  in  which  this  difficult  engineering  problem 
was  solved.  By  means  of  a  series  of  openings  made  in 
the  base  of  the  tower,  as  above  described,  the  latter  was 
raised  on  a  solid  platform  of  oaken  planks ;  while  it  was 
surrounded  from  base  to  summit  by  a  framework  of  stays 
or  props,  strengthened  by  cross  beams.  The  platform 
rested  on  one  hundred  and  forty-four  cast-iron  wheels, 
grooved  like  those  of  a  locomotive,  and  running  on  eight 
parallel  rails,  likewise  of  cast-iron,  which,  with  their 
11  sleepers,"  were  laid  along  the  masonry  of  the  pier  and 
jetty.  When  the  mass  had  moved  a  few  feet,  the  rails 
were  lifted,  and  laid  down  again  in  front  of  the  machinery, 
and  this  process  was  repeated  until  the  new  site  of  the 
lighthouse  was  reached.  Iron  chains  attached  to  the  plat- 
form were  wound  upon  windlasses,  worked  by  a  band  of 
sturdy  labourers. 

The  various  stages  of  the  operation  were  accomplished 
in  thirteen  hours  and  twenty  four  minutes.  The  com- 
bined efforts  of  forty  men  were  required  for  five  hours  to 
carry  the  apparatus  over  the  28  feet  of  the  first  section, 
while  eighteen  men  sufficed  to  carry  it  in  eight  hours  and 
twenty-four  minutes  over  the  447  feet  of  the  second. 


186 


"FINIS  CORONAT  OPUS." 


In  this  latter  part  the  rails  were  at  first  laid  down  on 
a  curve,  so  as  to  bring  the  pharos  into  a  symmetrical 
position  with  the  jetty,  then  it  advanced  parallel  to  itself, 
following  a  slightly  inclined  plane.  It  was  prevented  by 
wedges  from  deviating  during  this  ascent  from  a  perpen- 
dicular line.  The  object  of  this  twofold  disposition  was 
to  veer  the  pharos  round,  and  to  raise  it  to  a  higher  level 
— which,  as  we  have  seen,  was  an  indispensable  condition. 
The  removal  was  eventually  accomplished  with  so  much 
success,  and  so  little  interruption  to  the  business  of  the 
harbour,  that  the  lamp  was  lighted  in  the  evening  at  the 
usual  hour. 


'Mi '!;r;i  'i  i;!|  E'lOilPIHillllHl 


CHAPTER  VI. 

LIGHTHOUSES  ON  THE  ENGLISH  COAST. 

E  propose,  in  the  present  chapter,  to  glance  at 
a  few  of  the  best  known  pharoses  which  illu- 
minate our  home-waters,  but  without  observ- 
ing any  particular  order.  Our  description  of 
each  will  be  brief,  for  it  is  needless  to  say  that,  as  a  rule, 
lighthouses  closely  resemble  one  another  in  their  principles 
of  construction  as  in  their  general  arrangements,  and 
that  the  differences  between  them  are  simply  matters  of 
detail. 

Upon  Needles  Point,  the  westernmost  extremity  of  the 
Isle  of  Wight,  at  an  elevation  of  474  feet,  a  lighthouse 
was  erected  early  in  the  last  century.  Notwithstanding 
its  great  height,  it  is  recorded  that  its  windows  were  some- 
times shattered  by  stones  flung  up  by  the  mounting  and 
raging  billows.*  It  had  ten  Argand  lamps,  and  the 
same  number  of  plated  reflectors ;  and  its  light,  on  clear 
and  cloudless  nights,  was  visible  at  a  distance  of  eleven 
leagues.  Seven  hundred  gallons  of  oil,  we  are  told,  were 

*  We  think,  however,  that  this  statement  is  in  great  need  of  verification. 


190 


THE  NEEDLES  LIGHT. 


consumed  annually ;  and  in  stormy  nights  the  blaze  at- 
tracted hundreds  of  small  birds,  which  dashed  themselves 
against  the  glass  reflectors,  and  were  killed. 

Owing  to  its  great  elevation,  however,  this  lighthouse 
was  of  little  service  in  hazy  and  foggy  weather.     The 


NEEDLES    LIGHTHOUSE. 


Trinity  House,  therefore,  in  1859,  caused  a  new  one  to  be 
constructed  on  the  outer  part  of  the  farthest  of  the  cele- 
brated chalk  rocks,  called  the  Needles,  which  was  pre- 
viously cut  down  and  levelled  almost  to  the  water's  edge. 


ST.  CATHERINE'S  HILL.  191 

This  lighthouse  is  about  109  feet  in  height  from  the  base 
to  the  top  of  the  ball,  and  possesses  only  one  light,  with 
three  concentrated  wicks,  whose  brilliancy,  however,  is  so 
great  that  it  can  be  seen  fourteen  miles  at  sea.  The  shades 
are  alternately  white  and  red.  A  fog  bell  is  rung  by 
mechanical  agency  during  stormy  weather;  its  sounds 
may  be  heard  at  a  distance  of  five  miles.  The  base  of  the 
building  is  38  feet  in  diameter. 

Near  the  south  shore  of  the  Isle  of  Wight  rises  the 
remarkable  and  picturesque  eminence  of  St.  Catherine's 
Hill,  769  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  It  looks  down 
upon  the  rock-bound  sweep  of  Chale  Bay,  which  has  been 
the  scene  of  many  deplorable  catastrophes.  From  its 
summit  the  traveller  commands  a  prospect  of  singular 
beauty,  as  remarkable  for  its  extent  as  for  its  variety; 
since  it  not  only  includes  by  far  the  larger  part  of  the 
"  garden-isle/'  but  the  green  masses  of  the  New  Forest, 
the  blue  line  of  the  misty  Hampshire  hills,  and  the  un- 
dulating range  of  the  coast  of  Sussex  as  far  as  the  bold 
bluff  promontory  of  Beachy  Head.  It  is  said  that,  in  an 
opposite  direction,  the  high  lands  about  Cherbourg  have 
occasionally  been  seen.  On  a  calm,  clear  day  the  island 
lies  at  your  feet  like  an  open  map,  and  you  can  trace  each 
bare  bold  hill;  each  valley,  dusky  with  its  wealth  of 
foliage ;  each  village  church  and  manor-house,  girt  with 
venerable  trees;  each  distant  town,  with  its  floating 
canopy  of  smoke;  each  stream  that  trails  like  a  silver 
snake  through  the  emerald  pastures ;  and  all  around  and 
about,  the  mighty  ocean,  heaving  with  a  flood  of  glorious 
light. 

(262)  ]  3 


192  ST.  CATHERINE'S  LIGHTHOUSE. 

On  the  lofty  summit  of  this  hill,  one  Walter  tie  Godyton, 
in  1323,  erected  a  chantry,  and  dedicated  it  to  St.  Catherine, 
who,  in  the  Roman  Hagiology,  is  the  invariable  patroness 
of  hills  and  mountains.  He  also  provided  an  endowment 
for  a  priest,  who  should  chant  masses,  and  keep  up  a 
burning  light  through  the  hours  of  darkness,  for  the  safety 
of  mariners  approaching  this  dangerous  coast.  This  duty 
was  regularly  performed  until  the  suppression  of  the  minor 
religious  houses,  when  the  priest  and  his  endowment  dis- 
appeared ;  though  the  chantry,  built  of  solid  masonry, 
remained,  and  is  still  to  be  inspected  by  the  curious. 
Many  years  ago  it  was  carefully  repaired,  in  consideration 
of  its  value  as  a  landmark.  The  foundation  of  the  whole 
chapel  was  then  cleared  and  levelled,  a  process  revealing 
not  only  its  ground-plan,  but  also  the  floor  and  stone 
hearth  of  the  priest's  little  cell  at  the  south-west  corner. 
Its  height  is  35  feet  6  inches;  its  form,  octagonal. 

Almost  adjoining  stands  the  shell  of  a  lighthouse 
erected  in  1785  by  the  Trinity  Board ;  but  discontinued 
when  it  was  discovered,  as  might  at  the  outset  have  been 
surmised,  that  the  mists  so  often  gathering  about  the 
crown  of  the  hill  would  render  it  of  little  service. 

The  dangerous  character  of  the  coast,  however,  was  so 
widely  known,  that  the  Trinity  Board  felt  it  necessary  to 
provide  for  its  better  protection,  and  in  1838  a  lighthouse 
was  commenced  on  St.  Catherine's  Point,  at  the  base  of 
the  hill,  which  was  completed  in  1840,  and  lighted  for 
the  first  time  on  the  25th  of  March.  Its  dimensions  are  : 
— From  the  water-mark  to  the  level  of  terrace,  81  feet. 
From  the  terrace  to  the  top  of  the  stone- work,  100  feet. 
Height  of  lantern  and  pedestal,  1  foot  6  inches.  Exten- 


THE  LAND'S  END.  193 

sion  of  glass  frame,  10  feet.  Roof,  ball,  vane,  and 
lightning  conductor,  11|  feet.  Height  of  tower,  122  feet. 
The  diameter  of  the  interior  is  14  feet ;  and  the  staircase 
to  the  lantern-room  numbers  one  hundred  and  fifty-two 
steps.  The  illuminating  apparatus  consists  of  one  lamp, 
3J  inches  diameter,  with  four  concentrated  wicks,  re- 
flected through  a  lens  surmounted  by  two  hundred  and 
fifty  mirrors. 

St.  Catherine's  lighthouse  is  a  graceful  structure,  and 
the  visitor,  comparing  it  with  the  rude  chantry  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  where  the  solitary  priest  muttered  his 
orisons  and  fed  his  flickering  fire,  will  obtain  a  vivid  con- 
ception of  the  vast  strides  made  by  practical  science  in 
five  centuries. 

A  graphic  writer  *  describes  the  extreme  south-western 
point  of  England,  the  Land's  End,  in  the  following 
language : — 

"  Those,"  he  says,  "  who  expect  to  see  a  towering  or 
far- stretch  ing  promontory  will  be  disappointed.  We  form 
our  ideas  from  ordinary  maps,  and  imagine  England's 
utmost  cape  to  be  a  narrow  tongue  thrust  out  from  the 
firm  shore,  along  which  we  may  walk  to  meet  the  advanc- 
ing waves.  But  we  find  the  reality  to  be  merely  a  pro- 
truding shoulder  or  buttress  of  the  vast  irregular  bluff 
that  terminates  the  county.  Cape  Cornwall,  which  looks 
so  grand  about  two  miles  distant,  appears  to  extend  further 
to  the  west  than  the  Land's  End. 

"  Sit  still  and  gaze  :  the  scene  grows  upon  you.  Here 
the  two  channels  commingle  with  the  ocean ;  and  far  out 

*  Walter  White,  "  A  Londoner's  Walk  to  the  Land's  End,"  pp.  192,  193. 


194  THE  LONGSHIPS  LIGHTHOUSE. 

as  eye  can  reach,  and  round  on  either  hand  till  it  meets 
the  remotest  point  of  the  rugged  shore,  stretches  the 
watery  expanse.  The  billows  come  tumbling  in,  and 
break  in  thunder  at  the  base  of  the  cliffs,  dashing  the 
impatient  spray  well-nigh  to  their  summit.  You  may 
descend  by  steep  paths  to  a  lower  level,  and  see  the 
cavernous  opening  which  their  plunging  assaults  have 
worn  through  from  one  side  of  the  buttress  to  the  other. 
With  what  fury  they  rush  into  the  recess,  and  make  horrid 
whirlpools  behind  the  mass  which  some  day  will  be  an 
isolated  member  of  the  rocky  group  scattered  along  the 
shore !  There,  on  the  largest  of  the  cluster,  nearly  two 
miles  from  shore,  stands  the  Longships  Lighthouse,  and  all 
between  is  foam  and  swirl ;  waves  running  together,  and 
leaping  high  with  the  shock  :  a  dangerous  channel  known 
as  the  Kettle's  Bottom.  See  how  the  water  chafes 
around  the  Armed  Knight  there  on  the  left,  and  the  Irish 
Lady  on  the  right,  and  all  the  nameless  lumps  !  Yonder, 
under  the  cape,  at  the  extremity  of  Whitesand  Bay,  are 
the  Brisons,  invested  by  shipwreck  with  a  fearful  in- 
terest." 

The  Longships  Lighthouse,  mentioned  in  the  foregoing 
extract,  was  erected  in  1795  by  a  Mr.  Smith,  who  received 
as  his  reward  the  right  to  level  a  toll  upon  shipping  for  a 
limited  number  of  years.  It  was  afterwards  purchased  of 
his  representatives  by  the  Trinity  House.  The  tower  is 
built  of  granite,  and  the  stones  are  trenailed  upon 
Smeaton's  plan,  as  introduced  in  his  great  monument  of 
the  Eddystone.  The  circumference  at  the  base  is  62  feet, 
the  height  from  the  base  to  the  vane  of  the  lantern,  and  from 
the  sea  to  the  foot  of  the  building,  51  feet.  The  total 


THE  WOLF'S  CRAG. 


195 


height,  therefore,  exceeds  100  feet.     Yet  the  lantern-panes, 
it  is  said,  have  been  frequently  shattered  by  the  waves. 

About  eight  miles  from  this  part  of  the  Cornish  coast 
lies  a  dangerous  rock  of  greenstone,  called  the  Wolf's  Crag, 


WOLF'S   CRAG   LIGHTHOUSE. 


in  the  midst  of  a  turbulent  swirl  and  eddy  of  waters.  An 
attempt  was  once  made  to  plant  on  its  summit  the  figure 
of  an  enormous  wolf,  constructed  of  copper,  and  hollow 
within,  and  so  constructed  that  the  mouth  receiving  the 


196  THE  BISHOP  ROCK. 

blasts  of  the  gale  should  emit  a  loud  hoarse  sound  to  warn 
the  seaman  of  his  peril.  The  project,  however,  was 
rendered  abortive  by  the  violence  of  the  elements. 

In  1870  a  lighthouse  was  successfully  erected  on  the 
Wolf's  Crag ; — a  circular  tower,  100  feet  high. 

The  uninhabited  island  of  Annette,  one  of  the  Scilly 
group,  is  literally  surrounded  with  reefs  and  rocks,  each  of 
which  is  associated  with  some  melancholy  tale  of  suffering 
and  death.  It  has  been  well  said  that  they  are  the  "  dogs  " 
of  Scilly,  and  fierce  as  those  which,  according  to  the  old 
fable,  howled  round  the  monster  of  the  Italian  seas : — 

"  But  Scylla  crouches  in  the  gloom, 
Deep  in  a  cavern's  monstrous  womb  ; 
Thence  darts  her  ravening  mouth,  and  drags 
The  helpless  vessel  on  the  crags."  * 

On  the  Oilstone  Sir  Cloudesley  Shovel,  the  gallant  old 
sea-captain  of  Queen  Anne's  reign,  was  wrecked  in  1707  ; 
on  the  Crebawethan  perished  the  "  Douro,"  and  all  hands,  in 
1843  ;  and  on  Jacky's  Rock,  in  1841,  the  "  Thames"  steamer 
went  to  pieces,  and  out  of  sixty-five  on  board  only  three 
were  saved.  The  westernmost  of  those  terrible  rocks  is 
the  Bishop  Rock,  and  here  a  lighthouse  was  erected  in 
1858,  from  the  design  of  Mr.  James  Walker.  It  is  built 
of  granite,  and  the  vane  is  147  feet  above  high  water 
mark.  The  first  stone,  one  of  the  fifth  course,  was  laid 
on  the  16th  of  July  1852  ;  and  on  the  30th  of  the  same 
month  was  laid  the  lowest  stone,  one  foot  below  the  level 
of  low  water  spring- tides,  in  the* chasm  of  the  rock.  The 
stone-work  of  the  tower  was  finished  on  the  28th  of 
August  1857 ;  and  the  light,  a  fixed  bright  dioptric  light 

*  Virgil,  "yEneid,"  transl.  by  Conington,  bk.  iii.  420. 


THE  LIZARD  POINT. 


197 


1 


BISHOP   ROCK   LIGHTHOUSE. 


of  the  first  order,  illuminating  the  entire  circle,  and  visible, 
in  clear  weather,  at  a  distance  of  fourteen  miles,  was  ex- 
hibited on  the  1st  of  September  1858. 

It  is  satisfactory  to  add,  that  this  difficult  enterprise  was 
carried  to  a  successful  termination  without  loss  of  life  or 
serious  accident  to  any  person  employed. 

One  of  our  most  famous  English  headlands  is  Lizard 
Point,  the  Ocrinum  of  Ptolemy,  the  ancient  geographer, 
and  the  most  southerly  promontory  of  England.  Here 


198 


THE  LIZARD  POINT. 


are  two  large  and  massive  lighthouses,  whose  bases  are 
168  feet  above  the  sea,  and  212  feet  apart.  Each  tower 
is  61  feet  high,  and  each  lantern  contains  nineteen  re- 
flectors, which  can  be  seen  at  a  distance  of  twenty-one 
miles.  Between  the  two,  which  were  erected  by  Mr. 
Fonnereau,  in  1751,  and  worked  with  coal-fires  up  to  the 
year  1813,  are  built  the  residence  and  offices  ;  so  contrived 
that  a  long  passage  leads  from  one  to  the  other,  whereby 


LIZARD   POINT   LIGHTHOUSE. 


the  keepers  communicate  without  going  out  of  doors. 
"  These  beacons,"  says  a  recent  writer,  "  display  two 
lights,  to  distinguish  the  Lizard  from  Scilly,  known  to 
mariners  by  one,  and  from  Guernsey,  which  exhibits  three. 
Notwithstanding,  however,  the  brilliant  illumination  which 
is  hence  thrown  for  miles  over  the  sea,  ships,  embayed  in 
thick  weather  between  the  Lizard  and  Tol  Pedn  Pen- 
with,  are  frequently  lost  in  the  vicinity  of  this  headland, 
and  the  cliffs  are  of  such  a  character  that  it  is  almost 


AT  PLYMOUTH.  199 

impossible   to   render    from    them    the    slightest   assist- 


ance. 


The  Plymouth  Breakwater,  which  protects  the  great 
Devonshire  harbour  from  the  furious  gales  of  the  Channel, 
carries  on  its  western  arm  an  important  lighthouse,  erected 

in  1841  to  1844, 
from  the  designs 
of  Messrs.  Walker 
and  Burges.  It 
consists  of  a  cir- 
cular tower,  126 
feet  in  height 
from  the  base  of 
the  breakwater, 
71  feet  above 
high- water  mark, 


PLYMOUTH   BREAKWATER   LIGHTHOUSE. 

and  18  feet  in  diameter  at  its  widest  part.  It  is  built  of 
the  finest  Cornish  granite,  and  divided  into  five  stories ; 
the  highest  of  which,  the  lantern,  has  a  floor  of  polished 
slate ;  the  others,  of  stone.  The  light,  a  dioptric  one,  has 
a  range  of  nine  miles. 


200  START  POINT. 

On  the  dark  craggy  headland  of  Start  Point,  about  112 
feet  above  high-water  mark,  is  situated  a  lighthouse  ex- 
hibiting two  lights ;  a  revolving  light  for  the  Channel,  and 
a  fixed  light  to  guide  ships  inshore  clear  of  the  Skerries 
shoal.  Mr.  White  thus  describes  the  tower  and  its 
"belongings :" — 

"  A  substantial  house,  connected  with  the  tall  circular 
tower,  in  a  walled  enclosure,  all  nicely  whitened,  is  the 
residence  of  the  light-keepers.  The  buildings  stand  within 
a  few  yards  of  the  verge  of  the  cliff,  the  wall  serving  as 
parapet,  from  which  you  look  down  on  the  craggy  slope 
outside  and  the  jutting  rocks  beyond — the  outermost  point. 
You  may  descend  by  the  narrow  path,  protected  also  by  a 
low  white  wall,  and  stride  and  scramble  from  rock  to  rock, 
with  but  little  risk  of  slipping,  so  rough  are  the  surfaces 
with  minute  shells. 

"  A  rude  steep  stair,  chopped  in  the  rock,  leads  down 
still  lower  to  a  little  cove  and  a  narrow  strip  of  beach  at 
the  foot  of  the  cliffs.  It  is  the  landing-place  for  the 
lighthouse-keepers  when  they  go  fishing ;  but  can  only  be 
used  in  calm  weather. 

"The  assistant-keeper  spoke  of  the  arrival  of  a  visitor 
as  a  pleasure  in  the  monotonous  life  of  the  establishment. 
Winter,  he  said,  was  a  dreary  time,  not  so  much  on 
account  of  cold,  as  of  storms,  fogs,  and  wild  weather 
generally.  In  easterly  gales  the  fury  of  the  wind  would 
be  often  such  that  to  walk  across  the  yard  was  impossible ; 
they  had  to  crawl  under  shelter  of  the  wall,  and  the  spray 
flew  from  one  side  of  the  Point  to  the  other.  But  indoors 
there  was  no  lack  of  comfort,  for  the  house  was  solidly 
built  and  conveniently  fitted,  and  the  Trinity  Board  kept 


ON  THE  SOUTH  COAST.  201 

a  small  collection  of  books  circulating  from  lighthouse  to 
lighthouse." 

There  are  two  lighthouses  at  Portland  Bill;  the  lantern 
of  one  136,  and  that  of  the  other  210  feet  above  the  sea. 
Between  the  chalk  cliffs  and  a  bank  called  the  Shambles, 
foams  the  wild  impetuous  current  of  the  Race  of  Portland. 

The  celebrated  chalky  range  of  the  South  Downs  ter- 
minates on  the  Sussex  coast  in  Beachy  Head,  an  abrupt 
precipitous  promon- 
tory, 575  feet  above 


the  sea-level.  On 
a  point  considerably 
lower  than  this  lofty 
headland,  and  pro- 
jecting much  further 
into  the  sea,  stands 
the  celebrated  Belle 
Tout  Lighthouse, 
erected  in  1831. 

The  North  Fore- 
land, one  of  the 
great  Kentish  pro- 
montories, is  also 
crowned  by  its  light- 
house, which  dates 
from  1790.  The 

light  is  Visible  at  the  NORTH  ™*ELANI> 

Nore,  a  distance  of  twenty  miles. 


202 


THE  EAST  AND  WEST  COASTS. 


At  the  South  Foreland  lighthouse,  a  few  miles  from 
Dover,  the  electric  light  is  used  ;  the  electric  current  being 
originated  by  a  set  of  enormous  horse-shoe  magnets  fixed 


SOUTH   FORELAND   LIGHTHOUSE. 


in  a  stand,  before  which  a  wheel  revolves,  loaded  with  a 
number  of  solid  iron  cylinders.  The  whole  apparatus  is 
set  in  motion  by  a  steam-engine. 

Both  the  east  and  west  coasts  of  our  "  sea-girt  island  " 
are  well  provided  with  warning  lights,  but  a  mere  enume- 
ration of  them  would  scarcely  be  satisfactory  to  the  reader, 
and  a  description  would  prove  as  wearisome  as  a  twice-told 
tale,  for  the  reason  stated  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
If  we  traced  the  coast-line  of  Scotland,  we  should  find  it 
equally  well  defended  ;  or  if  we  crossed  to  the  Isle  of  Man, 
we  should  still  meet  with  the  monuments  of  man's  war- 
fare against  the  ocean.  Then,  again,  if  we  cross  from  Holy- 


THE  IRISH  COAST. 


203 


bead  to  Dublin,  our  vessel  is  guided  by  the  stately  light 
which  glows  upon  the  Stack  Rock,  and  by  the  Bailey  Light- 


HOLYHEAD    LIGHTHOUSE. 


house  at  the  extremity  of  the  Howth  peninsula.  The  Bailey 
on  the  south,  and  the  Kish  Lightship  on  the  north,  mark 
the  extreme  points  of  the  beautiful  Bay  of  Dublin.  Keep- 
ing southward,  along  the  eastern  coast,  we  descry  the  light- 
houses on  the  rugged  cliffs  of  Wicklow  Head,  and  in  Tuskar 
Rock ;  and,  on  the  south  coast,  at  Hook  Tower,  marking 
the  eastern  side  of  the  entrance  to  the  port  of  Waterford ; 


204 


KINS  ALE  LIGHTHOUSE. 


at  Ballinacourty,  as  a  guide  to  ships  entering  Dungarvan 
Harbour ;  at  Mine  Head,  and  Ballycottin  Point,  and  Koche 
Point,  the  north-eastern  boundary  of  Cork  Harbour ;  and  at 
the  Old  Head  of  Kinsale,  whose  light  is  visible  for  twenty- 


KINSALE   LIGHTHOUSE. 


one  nautical  miles,  and  proves  immeasurably  welcome  to  the 
Briton  home-bound  from  the  New  World,  because  it  is  the 
first  he  sees  after  his  departure  from  American  waters. 

A  revolving  light,  which  gradually  increases  and  de- 
creases every  two  minutes,  is  exhibited  on  the  Fastnet 
Rock,  a  few  miles  off  the  southernmost  point  of  Ireland. 

Of  iron  lighthouses  the  British  coast  presents  but  few 
examples.  The  reader  will,  therefore,  be  not  unwilling 
to  gain  some  particulars  of  the  tower  on  this  well-known 
rock  ;  a  rock  rising  about  60  feet  above  high-water  mark. 
Its  iron  structure  consists,  in  the  main,  of  the  following 
parts:*  —  The.  shell,  composed  of  cast-iron  plates;  the 
hollow  cast-iron  central  column ;  five  cast-iron  floors,  the 
uppermost  of  which  is  the  platform  at  the  top  of  the 

*  Practical  Mechanic's  Journal  for  1842,  p.  2fi5. 


FAST.VET  JWCK  LIGHTHOUSE.  205 


FASTNET  ROCK  LIGHTHOUSE. 

tower,  supporting  the  lantern ;  a  projecting  cast-iron 
gallery,  level  with  the  platform,  sustained  by  cast-iron 
brackets,  and  having  a  balustrade  ;  an  external  iron  stair, 
for  access  to  the  doors  on  the  first  floor ;  internal  iron 
stairs  to  connect  the  several  floors ;  a  lining  of  masonry 
in  the  basement,  and  of  brick  in  the  upper  stories ;  and  a 
cut  stone  moulding  round  the  base. 

The  principal  dimensions  are  as  follows  : — 

Feet  In. 

Height  of  tower  from  the  base  to  the  gallery 63  9 

Height  of  lamp  above  the  gallery 11  0 

Total  height  of  the  lantern 30  0 

Outside  diameter  at  base,  over  stone  moulding 23  0 


20C 


MA  PL  IN  SA  NDS  LIGHT  HO  USE. 


Feet.  In. 

Outside  diameter  over  cast-iron  shell 19    0 

Outside  diameter  just  below  the  cornice 13  111 

Outside  diameter  of  tower  casing  at  light-room  floor  —  13    8l 

Outside  diameter  of  gallery,  to  outer  ends  of  brackets  . .  19  10J 

Inside  diameter  of  cellar,  or  basement  story 9    0 

Inside  diameter  of  each  of  the  other  four  stories 12    0 

Clear  height  of  cellar 9    0 

Clear  height  of  each  of  the  other  four  stories 12    0 

Total  thickness  of  each  floor 0    9 

The  plates  composing  the  cast-iron  shell  are  curved, 

oblong,  rectan- 
gular, and  If 
inch  thick  at 
the  base,  dimin- 
ishing gradually 
to  j  inch  at 
the  top  of  the 
tower. 

This  light- 
house was  erect- 
ed in  1848,  from 
the  design  of 
Mr.  Halpin,  en- 
gineer to  the 
Corporation  of 
Dublin. 

Of  lighthouses 
on  piles  we  shall 
take  as  an  ex- 
ample the  Map- 
lin  Sands  Light- 
house, designed 
MAPLIN  S^NDS  LIGHTHOUSE.  by  Mr.  Walker, 


LIGHTHOUSES  ON  SCREW  PILES.  207 

for  the  Trinity  House  Corporation,  and  erected  in 
1841. 

It  stands  upon  nine  piles  of  wrought-iron,  each  26  feet 
long  and  5  inches  in  diameter :  these  are  screwed  14  feet 
6  inches  deep  into  the  sand,  and  secured  by  screw-blades 
of  cast-iron,  each  4  feet  in  diameter.  One  pile  forms  the 
centre  of  an  octagon ;  the  others  are  placed  one  at  each  of 
the  eight  angles.  '  To  the  tops  of  the  piles  are  firmly 
fitted  hollow  iron  columns  ;  the  central  one  being  perpen- 
dicular, the  others  bent,  so  that  they  incline  inwards. 
They  are  braced  together  by  radiating,  diagonal,  and 
horizontal  rods.  Each  terminates  at  the  top  in  a  socket, 
into  which  is  fitted  a  timber  post  of  about  one  foot  square. 
The  posts,  like  the  columns,  are  braced  together,  and 
form  the  foundation  of  the  house,  platform,  and  lantern. 

The  principal  dimensions  are  as  follows  : — 

Feet.  In. 

Depth  of  the  screw-blades  below  the  sand,  about 14  6 

Depth  of  the  screw-blades  below  low- water  mark  spring- 
tides   21  0 

Rise  of  spring-tides 15  0 

Height  from  high -water  mark  spring-tides  to  floor  of 

house 20  6 

Height  from  high-water  mark  to  floor  of  light-room 29  6 

Height  from  high-water  mark  to  lamp 38  6 

Height  from  high-water  mark  to  top  of  vane  spindle ....  54  0 

Diameter  of  floor  of  house 27  0 

Diameter  of  platform 21  0 

Diameter  of  light-room 12  0 

A  lighthouse  of  this  kind  is  excellently  adapted  for  any 
locality  where  the  light  does  not  require  to  be  seen  at  a 
great  distance.  The  piles  offer  no  appreciable  opposition 
to  the  waves,  which  pass  through  the  open  spaces  without 
rising  higher  than  out  at  sea. 

The  Gunfleet  Lighthowe  stands  on  seven  screw  piles, 

(262)  14 


208  THE  D  UBHK  ART  A  CH  ROCK. 

screwed  40  feet  deep  into  the  sand.     The  Point  of  Ayre 
Lighthouse,  on  nine,  screwed  12  feet  into  the  sand. 

Before  we  conclude  these  desultory  notes,  it  seems 
desirable  to  refer  to  a  lighthouse  now  in  course  of  erec- 
tion, which  is  not  unworthy  to  rank  with  the  finest  of  its 
predecessors. 

About  midway  between  the  famous  Skerryvore  Light- 
house and  that  of  the  Rhins  of  Islay — or  20  miles  from 
Islay,  18  miles  from  Colonsay,  15  miles  from  lona,  and  15 
miles  from  Mull — in  the  centre  of  an  archipelago  which 
ancient  legend,  and  ecclesiastical  history,  and  modern 
romance  have  done  their  best  to  render  celebrated — lies 
the  Dulhe  Artacli  (or  St.  John's)  Rock.  It  forms  an 
isolated  mass  of  augite  about  240  feet  in  length  by  43 
feet  in  breadth,  whose  rounded  summit  rises  47  feet  above 
high- water  mark.  In  stormy  weather  the  sea  sweeps 
over  it  with  terrific  violence,  and  for  miles  around  it  boils 
and  seethes  with  counter-currents  and  opposing  waves. 
During  the  severe  gales  of  the  winter  of  1865-66  many 
ships  were  lost  in  this  dangerous  neighbourhood,  and  it 
was  therefore  determined  by  the  Commissioners  of  North- 
ern Lighthouses,  with  the  sanction  of  the  Trinity  House 
and  Board  of  Trade,  to  erect  a  lighthouse  on  the  Dubhe 
Artach. 

The  material  of  the  rock  is  so  excessively  hard  that  the 
works,  at  first,  could  not  be  carried  forward  with  much 
rapidity.  Neither  in  the  building  of  the  Eddystone  nor 
of  the  Skerryvore  could  the  engineers  have  had  greater 
difficulties  to  contend  with.  A  foundation  has,  however, 
been  at  last  obtained,  and  several  courses  of  the  masonry 


LIGHTHOUSES  ABROAD. 


209 


securely  laid,  so  that  the  elegant  structure,  designed  by 
Messrs.  D.  and  T.  Stevenson  of  Edinburgh,  will,  in 
another  twelvemonth,  be  completed.  Its  estimated  cost 
is  £56,900.  It  consists  of  a  parabolic  frustrum,  whose 
topmost  course  is  109  feet  above  its  base.  The  diameter 
at  the  bottom  measures  36  feet,  at  the  top  16  feet.  There 
will  be  seven  apartments  besides  the  light-room.  The 
total  height  of  the  lantern  above  the  sea  will  be  154  feet, 
commanding  a  range  of  about  eighteen  miles. 

Lastly,  we  propose  to 
wander  away  from  the 
shores  of  the  United  King- 
dom, though  not  to  tres- 
pass beyond  the  confines 
of  British  territory.  Had 
our  limits  permitted,  we 
might  have  entered  upon  a 
description  of  the  Austra- 
lian and  North  American 
pharoses,  of  the  lighthouse 
atPerim,  of  the  lighthouses 
on  the  coast  of  Hindustan ; 
but  such  a  multiplicity  of 
details  would  assuredly 
have  wearied  the  reader. 
Yet,  as  a  proof  that  our 
engineering  operations  in 
this  department  are  not 
less  skilfully  and  boldly 
executed  abroad  than  at  home,  we  shall  adduce,  in  ter- 


ALOUADA   REEF   LIGHTHOUSE. 


210  A  LOU  AD  A  REEF  LIGHTHO  USE. 

minating  this  chapter,  the  noble  structure  situated  on  the 
Alguada  Reef. 

This  reef  lies  a  few  miles  to  the  southward  of  Cape 
Negrais,  the  south-west  promontory  of  Pegu,  near  one  of 
the  mouths  of  the  great  Irrawady  river.  Being  thrown, 
as  it  were,  directly  in  the  track  of  vessels  sailing  from 
Calcutta  to  the  thriving  ports  of  Moulmein  and  Rangoon, 
it  was  a  constant  danger  to  the  mariner ;  for  the  sea,  ex- 
cept in  the  calmest  weather,  always  dashes  against  it  with 
restless  fury,  and  no  vessel  cast  upon  it  can  hope  to  escape. 
The  late  Marquis  of  Dalhousie,  appreciating  its  perilous 
character,  designed  to  erect  a  lighthouse  upon  it;  but  no 
action  was  taken  in  the  matter  until  1856,  when  the  loss 
of  a  coolie  ship  and  286  lives  induced  Lord  Canning  to 
resume  his  predecessor's  project. 

The  stone  had  to  be  brought  from  Pulo  Obin,  near 
Singapore,  a  distance  of  1200  miles ;  and  it  was  not  until 
January  1860  that  the  work  of  excavating  the  foundation 
was  commenced.  On  February  14,  1861,  the  first  stone 
was  laid,  and  thenceforth  the  work  proceeded  bravely, 
though  entirely  carried  on  by  Coolie  labour.  The  light, 
a  first-class  holophotal  light,  designed  by  Messrs.  D.  and  T. 
Stevenson  of  Edinburgh,  was  first  kindled  on  April  23, 
1865,  at  an  elevation  of  144  feet  above  high-water  mark. 
It  commands  a  range  of  twenty  nautical  miles. 

In  general  appearance  the  Alguada  Reef  Lighthouse 
resembles  the  Skerryvore,  after  which,  indeed,  it  was  de- 
signed, by  Captain  Fraser  ;  but  it  surpasses  its  model  in  its 
dimensions. 

[Here  we  conclude  our  sketches  of  celebrated  lighthouses ; 


JMPRESSI VE  MON  UMEX TS. 


211 


structures,  we  think,  scarcely  less  deserving  of  the  public 
interest  and  admiration,  than  the  triumphal  arches  and 
stately  columns  erected  to  the  memory  of  successful 
generals,  or  the  superb  palaces  which  enshrine  the  magni- 
ficence of  kings  and  princes.  For  every  lighthouse,  be  it 
remembered,  is  a  proof  of  formidable  engineering  difficul- 
ties successfully  overcome,  and,  therefore,  rises  before  us  as 
an  impressive  monument  of  human  ingenuity,  skill,  and 
perseverance,  exerted,  for  the  noblest  of  purposes — for  the 
preservation  of  human  life,  for  the  prevention  of  that 
misery  and  grief  and  deep-abiding  sorrow  which  are  the 
invariable  consequences  of  the  "  wreck  ashore." 


BOOK   IV, 

LIGHTHOUSES  IX  FRANCE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    TOUR    DE    CORDOUAN.* 

RULY  mysterious  is  the  Channel,  in  that 
narrow  gullet  where  it  engulfs  the  waves 
of  the  North  Sea.  Violent  are  the  waters  of 
Brittany,  as  they  eddy  to  and  fro  in  the 
ravines  of  its  basaltic  coast.  But  the  Gulf  of  Gaseony, 
from  Cordouan  to  Biarritz,  is  a  sea  of  contradictions ;  an 
enigma  of  strife  and  struggle.  As  it  stretches  southward, 
it  suddenly  acquires  an  extraordinary  depth,  and  becomes 
an  abyss  in  which  the  waters  are  swallowed  up.  An 
ingenious  naturalist  has  compared  it  to  a  gigantic  funnel, 
which  abruptly  absorbs  all  that  is  poured  into  it.  The 
flood,  escaping  from  it  under  an  awful  pressure,  remounts 
to  a  height  of  which  our  seas  afford  no  other  example."  f 

*  Our  account  of  the  French  lighthouses  is  mainly  taken  from  M.  Regard's 
interesting  brochure,  "  Lcs  Phares  "  (Hachette,  1867). 
t  Michelet,  "LaMer." 


A  BO  UT  A  XCIENT  DA  YS.  2 1 3 

The  eloquent  historian  of  the  sea  does  not  paint  in  colours 
too  vivid  the  raging  excesses  of  the  Gulf  of  Gascony ; 
and,  therefore,  from  a  remote  epoch,  the  French  government 
have  sought  to  guard  against  its  dangers  by  securing  a 
proper  lightage  of  the  entrance  of  the  Gironde.  To  trace 
the  origin  of  the  Lighthouse  of  Cordouan  we  must  go  back 
to  a  very  distant  antiquity.  Unfortunately  we  know  little 
of  the  history  of  this  marvellous  erection  on  a  craggy  plat- 
form, which  is  alternately  covered  and  exposed  by  the 
waves  at  every  tide.  It  is  certain  that  the  present  struc- 
ture had,  at  least,  two  predecessors.  If  tradition  may  be 
credited,  the  first  was  raised  by  Louis  the  Debonnair. 
But  as  no  document  is  extant  to  support  this  hypothesis, 
we  are  inclined  to  believe  that  no  lighthouse  was  built 
there  until  the  thirteenth  century,  and  that  it  was  then 
erected  in  compliance  with  the  urgent  request  of  the  mer- 
chants of  Cordova,  and  foreign  merchants  trading  in  the 
wines  of  Bordeaux.  Matthew  Paris  records,  in  his  well- 
known  "  Chronicles,"  that  the  Moors  having  been  driven 
back  to  the  extreme  south  of  Spain,  extensive  commercial 
relations  were  established  at  this  epoch  (1236)  between 
the  Gascons  and  the  cities  of  Cordova  and  Seville.  Hence 
came  the  name  of  Cordouan.  That  this  etymology  is  con- 
tradicted by  many  scholars,  and  even  turned  into  jest,  we 
are  aware,  but  to  ridicule  is  not  to  prove.  What  appears 
certain  is,  that  the  town  of  Cordova  (said  to  contain 
300,000  souls  in  the  thirteenth  century,  and  the  ancient 
capital  of  the  Khalifate  of  the  same  name)  had  two  reasons 
instead  of  one  for  demanding  the  establishment  of  a  light- 
house at  the  mouth  of  the  Gironde ;  for  its  merchants 
visited  Bordeaux  not  only  to  deal  in  its  wines,  but  to  sell 


214  LIGHTHOUSE  OF  THE  BLACK  PRINCE. 

their  hides  and  leather,  renowned  then  as  now  for  their 
fineness  and  excellent  quality. 

But  passing  from  the  domains  of  conjecture  to  those  of 
history,  we  know  that  the  second  lighthouse  was  built  in 
the  fourteenth  century  (1362-70),  by  the  order  of  Edward 
the  Black  Prince.  This  lighthouse  was  48  feet  in  height. 
It  terminated  in  a  platform,  where  was  kindled  a  fire  of 
wood  under  the  charge  of  a  holy  hermit,  who  received  in 
reward  of  his  labours  a  toll  from  each  vessel  of  two  groats 
sterling.  It  is  generally  believed  that  the  rock  on  which 
the  lighthouse  stood  was,  at  that  epoch,  still  united  to  the 
Medoc  coast.  The  configuration  of  the  soil,  the  distance, 
the  depth  of  the  channel,  the  ravages  still  effected  by  the 
sea  at  Soulac  and  at  the  Point  de  Grave,  are  arguments  in 
favour  of  this  opinion. 

The  lighthouse  built  by  the  Black  Prince  did  not  stand 
alone  upon  its  rock.  As  a  companion  it  had  a  chapel, 
raised  in  honour  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  several  houses, 
constructed  in  this  sacred  locality,  gradually  formed  a 
kind  of  village.  Here  dwelt  the  hermit,  his  assistants, 
and,  probably,  a  small  number  of  pilots  and  fishermen. 

An  engraving  of  the  date  of  the  fifteenth  century  repre- 
sents this  ancient  tower  as  an  octagonal  building,  with 
elongated  quadrangular  openings.  It  is  doubled,  so  to 
speak,  up  to  its  first  story,  with  an  exterior  casing  of  stone, 
forming  an  additional  protection.  Some  of  the  houses 
which  formerly  occupied  this  particular  site  were  existing 
at  the  epoch  when  the  drawing  was  executed. 

The  lighthouse,  which  at  the  present  time  so  justly 
extorts  the  admiration  of  all  its  visitors,  was  constructed, 


LOUIS  DE  FOIX. 


215 


ANCIENT  TOWER  OF   COKDOUAN. 


not  on  the  ruins,  but  by  the  side  of  its  predecessor.  Begun 
in  1584  by  Louis  de  Foix,  a  Parisian  architect,  to  whom 
Philip  II.  confided  at  a  later  date  the  building  of  the 
Escorial,  it  was  not  completed  until  1600,  and  then  by  his 
son.  Including  the  solid  mass  of  the  platform  or  base, 
the  tower  was  60  feet  high,  and  including  the  stone  lan- 
tern, 70  feet.  At  the  date  of  its  erection,  the  ground  was, 
as  undoubtedly  it  for  a  long  time  had  been,  completely 
separated  from  the  mainland,  and  formed  an  island  of  a 
certain  extent — the  "  Isle  of  Cordouan,"  says  Louis  de  Foix 
himself,  in  the  contract  signed  with  the  authorities  of 


216  A  CURIOUS  ERECTION. 

Guienne  for  the  construction  of  the  tower.  This  island 
has  since  disappeared,  as  well  as  the  houses  and  chapel  of 
which  we  have  spoken  ;  and  now,  at  the  foot  of  the  monu- 
ment, are  only  the  bare  rock  and  some  tongues  of  sand 
completely  covered  at  high  water. 

The  pharos,  as  it  issued  from  the  hands  of  the  Des  Foix, 
father  and  son,  consisted  of  a  circular  platform  protected 
by  a  broad  parapet,  and  of  the  tower,  which  was  divided 
into  four  stories,  not  including  the  lantern.  The  ground 
floor  presented  a  great  vestibule  of  a  quadrangular  form, 
with  four  little  recesses  which  served  for  magazines. 
Staircases  placed  in  the  embrasures  of  the  entrance-gate 
and  of  the  two  windows  led  to  the  cellars  and  the  water- 
tank.  On  either  side  of  the  doorway,  prior  to  the  Revolu- 
tion, were  busts  of  Henry  III.  and  Henry  IV.  On  the 
first  story,  which  bore  the  title — probably  without  any 
justification — of  "  the  King's  Chamber,"  was  a  saloon  of 
the  same  dimensions  as  the  vestibule,  but  more  richly 
decorated,  from  which  access  was  obtained  to  the  first 
exterior  gallery.  A  chapel,  circular  in  shape,  occupied 
the  second  story,  and  was  illuminated  by  two  rows  of 
windows,  covered  by  a  spherical  vault,  and  enriched  with 
Corinthian  pilasters  and  elegant  sculptures.  Above  the 
door  of  the  chapel  stood  the  bust  of  Louis  de  Foix  ;  and 
the  following  sonnet,  composed  in  the  purest  galimatias  of 
the  time,  was  engraved  on  a  large  tablet  above  it : — 

QVAND  IADMIBE  RAVI  CEST  CEWRE  EN  MON  COVRAQE 
MON  DE  FOIX  MON  ESPRIT  EST  EN  ESTONNEMENT. 
TORTE  DANS  LES  PENSERS  DE  MON  ENTENDEMENT 
LE  GENTIL  INGENIEVX  DE  CE  SVPERBE  OVVRAGE. 

LA  IL  DISCOVRT  EN  LVY  ET  DVN  MVET  LANGAGE 
TE  VA  LOVANT  SVBTIL  EN  CE  POINT  MESMEMENT 


THE  CHAPEL  AXD  THE  LANTERN.  217 

QUE  TV  BRIDES  LES  FLOTS  DV  GRONDEVX  ELEMENT 
ET  DVN  MVTIN  NEPTVNE  LA  TEMPESTE  ET  LORAOE. 

O  TROIS  ET  QVATRE  FOIS  BIENHEVREVX  TON  ESPRIT 
DE  CE  QVAV  FRONT  DRESSE  CE  PHARE  IL  ENTREPR1T 
POVR  SE  PERPETVER  DANS  LHEVREVSE  MEMO1RE. 

TV  TES  AQVIS  PAR  LA  VN  HONNEVR  INFINI 

QVI  NE  FINIRA  POINT  QVE  CE  PHARE  DE  QLOIRE 

LE  MONDE  FINISSANT  NE  SE  RENDE  FINY. 

All  the  parts  of  the  primitive  construction  still  exist, 
and  have  undergone  but  little  alteration  during  successive 
restorations ;  but  such  is  not  the  case  with  the  upper  por- 
tion, which  has  been  completely  destroyed,  from  the  gradual 
sinking  of  the  tower. 

Above  the  second  gallery,  the  dome  of  the  chapel  was 
ornamented  on  the  outside  by  richly  sculptured  dormer- 
windows,  forming  the  second  tier  of  windows  of  that  story. 
It  was  surmounted  by  a  circular  pavilion,  vaulted,  ajnd 
decorated  with  composite  pilasters,  whose  entablature  was 
crowned  by  the  open  balustrade  of  an  outer  gallery  leading 
into  the  lantern.  This  lantern — whose  dimensions  were 
somewhat  limited — was  built  of  hewn  stone,  and  composed 
of  eight  arcades,  whose  piers  were  embellished  with  columns, 
and  whose  cupola  terminated  in  a  shaft  to  carry  off  the 
smoke  of  the  furnace. 

Under  Louis  XV.,  in  1727,  an  iron  structure  was  sub- 
stituted for  this  stone  lantern,  whose  masonry  had  been 
calcined  by  the  fire,  and  whose  broad  piers,  moreover,  had 
the  serious  inconvenience  of  obscuring  a  very  considerable 
portion  of  the  light ;  but  the  furnace  was  kept  at  the  same 
elevation;  namely,  about  120  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
highest  seas. 

This  elevation,  as  it  did  not  enable  the  light  to  be  seen 


218  THE  MODERN  LIGHTHOUSE. 

at  a  sufficient  distance,  was  soon  pronounced  unsatisfactory. 
A  scheme  to  raise  it  100  feet  was  planned  by  the 
Chevalier  de  Borda,  who  submitted  it  to  Teulere,  the 
chief  engineer  to  the  city  of  Bordeaux.  The  latter  pointed 
out  that  it  was  both  imperative  and  possible  to  increase 
the  height  by  65  feet.  His  designs  were  accepted,  and 
their  successful  execution,  in  1788  and  1789,  in  spite  of 
many  dangers,  procured  for  Teulere  a  reputation  scarcely 
inferior  to  that  of  De  Foix  himself. 

The  light  is  now  placed  at  an  elevation  above  high- 
water  level  of  190  feet,  and  above  the  ground  of  205  feet. 
But,  regarded  from  an  artistic  point  of  view,  we  must 
confess  that  the  lighthouse  has  by  no  means  gained. 
There  is  a  certain  dryness  about  the  too  naked  forms  of 
the  modern  construction,  which  contrasts  in  a  manner  much 
to  be  deplored  with  the  elegance  and  richness  of  the 
Renaissance  work.  The  present  summit  (couronnement) 
is  by  no  means  equal  to  that  which  formerly  existed.  Yet, 
as  Reynaud  justly  observes,  the  first  impression  which  the 
edifice  produces  leaves  no  room  for  regret ;  you  are  pene- 
trated with  a  profound  feeling  of  admiration  the  moment 
you  find  yourself  in  the  presence  of  this  majestic  monu- 
ment, towering  with  so  sublime  a  boldness  above  the 
bosom  of  the  ocean. 

These  emotions  have  been  finely  expressed  by  Michelet 
in  his  noble  book  on  "  the  Sea." 

"  During  our  six  months'  sojourn  on  this  shore/'  he 
says,  "  our  ordinary  object  of  contemplation — I  had  almost 
said,  our  daily  society — was  Cordouan.  We  felt  keenly 
how  its  position  as  guardian  of  the  seas,  as  the  constant 
watcher  of  the  strait,  made  of  it  an  individuality.  Erect 


PRESENT  LIGHTHOUSE   OF   CORDOVA. 


MICHELET  ON  THE  LIGHTHOUSE.  .    221 

against  the  broad  eastern  horizon,  it  appeared  under  a 
hundred  varied  aspects.  Sometimes,  in  a  belt  of  glory, 
it  triumphed  under  the  sun;  sometimes,  pale  and  indistinct, 
it  hovered  through  the  mist,  no  augury  of  good.  At 
evening,  when  it  abruptly  kindled  its  red  light,  and  darted 
forth  its  glance  of  fire,  it  seemed  like  a  zealous  inspector, 
who  watched  over  the  waters,  impressed  and  disquieted  by 
his  responsibility.  Whatever  occurred  at  sea  was  attributed 
to  it.  By  illuminating  the  tempest,  it  was  frequently  a 
source  of  safety,  and  yet  men  ascribed  to  it  the  storm.  It 
is  thus  that  Ignorance  too  often  treats  Genius,  accusing 
it  of  the  evils  which  it  reveals.  Even  we  ourselves  were 
not  just.  If  it  delayed  lighting  up,  if  bad  weather  came, 
we  censured  it,  we  growled  at  it.  '  Ah,  Cordouan,  Cor- 
douan,  thou  white  phantom !  canst  thou,  then,  bring  us 
nought  but  storms  ? ' " 

During  the  last  few  years  a  complete  restoration  of  the 
lighthouse  of  Cordouan  has  been  carried  out,  with  the 
view  of  replacing  the  stones — and  they  were  numerous — 
injured  by  the  weather,  and  of  renewing  the  sculptures, 
which  it  was  difficult  to  trace,  they  were  so  worn  and 
abraded.  All  the  buildings  which  at  different  times  had 
been  erected  against  the  platform-wall  to  supply  the  in- 
sufficiency of  dwelling  -  apartments  in  the  lighthouse, 
have  been  reconstructed.  And  in  1854  arrangements 
were  made  to  distinguish  it  from  neighbouring  lights; 
it  has  now  a  revolving  light,  white  and  red,  with  a  range 
of  twenty- seven  miles. 

The  introduction  of  the  dioptric  apparatus  into  the  Cor- 
douan lighthouse  took  place  long  ago ;  it  belongs,  in  fact, 


A  PLACE  FOR  EXPERIMENTS. 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CORDOVA   LIGHTHOUSE. 


to  the  earliest  experiments 
of  Fresnel,  for  it  is  a  peculi- 
arity worth  notice  in  the 
annals  of  this  patriarch  of 
pharoses,  that  attention  has 
always  been  directed  to  it 
when  any  question  has  arisen 
of  testing  a  new  invention. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  which 
saw  the  inconvenient  and 
unsatisfactory  chauffer  re- 
placed, as  a  means  of  light- 
age,  by  oil  lamps.  In  1782 
it  was  provided  with  at  least 
eighty  of  these,  each  accom- 
panied by  a  reflector.  A 
few  years  later,  when  Teulere 
had  furnished  Borda  with 
the  elements  of  the  catoptric 
system,  the  largest  apparatus 
was  immediately  installed  at 
Cordouan  (1790).  Finally, 
when  Augustin  Fresnel,  in  his 
turn,  invented  the  lenticular 
system,  it  was  at  Cordouan 
that  experi- 
ments were 
first  made 
with  the 
most  import- 
ant model. 


S!g||lps^'££ 


THE  "PATRIARCH  OF  LIGHTHOUSES: 


223 


Considering,  then,  the  numerous  and  valuable  services 
which  Cordouan  has  rendered,  we  ask  ourselves,  says  M. 
Renard,*  whether,  among  the  numerous  monuments  raised 
by  the  pride  and  daring  of  man,  there  are  many  of  so 
much  respectability  as  this  "  Patriarch  of  the  Lighthouses! " 
We  cannot  acknowledge  that  any  one  of  them  is  so  justly 
deserving  of  our  reverent  admiration.  Nobler,  far  nobler, 
and  of  infinitely  greater  utility,  than  the  trophies  by  which 
the  conqueror  has  tracked  his  bloody  path,  or  the  pompous 
boundary-stones  erected  by  nations  at  each  stage  of  their 
history,  it  will  also  be  of  a  more  permanent  character. 
For  these  belong  only  to  individuals  or  peoples  :  Cordouan 
belongs  to  the  whole  human  race. 

*  K6nard,  "  Les  Phares,"  pp.  H5-158. 


(2G2) 


15 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE    LIGHTHOUSES    OF    CAPE    LA    HEVE. 
A.D.  1774. 

Doux  feux  qui  prot6gez  et  ThStis  et  la  Seine, 
Surs  et  brillants  rivaux  des  deux  freTes  d'HelSne, 
Phares,  -je  vous  salue  ;  assurez  a  jamais 
Le  commerce  opulent  de  1'heureuse  Neustrie  ; 

Fixez  dans  ma  patrie 
L'abondance,  les  arts,  tous  les  fruits  de  la  paix. 

CASIMIR  DELAVIGNE. 

Ye  fires  which  guard  both  Thetis  and  the  Seine, 

Bright  shining  compeers  of  the  brothers  twain — 

Castor  and  Pollux — vigilant  fires,  all  hail  ! 

O  gentle  lights,  I  pray  ye,  never  fail 

To  guide  secure  each  wealthy  Neustrian  keel, 

And  to  my  country  all  the  fruits  reveal 

Of  blessed  peace,  and  guard  the  common  weal ! 

fO  one  can  have  visited  Havre  without  devot- 
ing at  least  an  hour  to  the  Cape  La  Heve, 
and  to  the  two  lighthouses  which  have 
extorted  from  Casimir  Delavigne  his  poetical 
A  pilgrimage  to  this  point  is  made  all  the  more 
willingly  that  the  pilgrim  who  accomplishes  it  must 
necessarily  pass  through  Sainte- Adresse,  and  Sainte-Adresse 
— need  we  remind  the  reader  ? — is  one  of  the  marvels  of 
Normandy. 


homage. 


A  NEW  VALE  OF  TEMPE.  225 

"  The  delicious  vale  of  Tempe,  which  the  poets  of  all 
time  have  pleased  themselves  with  investing  in  the  riches 
of  their  imagination,  possesses  no  attraction  which  the 
valley  of  Sainte- Adresse  need  envy :  its  limpid  waters,  the 
gently  sloping  hills  which  enclose  it,  the  little  gardens 
where  for  once  the  hand  of  Art  has  not  defaced  and  dese- 
crated the  work  of  Nature ;  the  pure  ethereal  freshness 
which  it  inhales  from  the  breath  of  its  myriad  flowers,  and 
which  the  wind  of  the  plain  never  respires  ; — all  charms, 
all  seduces,  and  we  exclaim,  Happy  he  who  can  spend  his 
life  in  an  abode  which  Flora  and  Pomona  embellish  !  The 
goddess  Hygeia  resides  there  throughout  the  year,  and, 
by  a  happy  alliance  with  Boreas,  both  contend  for  the 
pleasure  of  protecting  this  new  Eden  against  the  hideous 
host  of  human  infirmities.  Painters,  seize  your  brushes, 
and  let  its  image  revive  on  your  imitative  canvas ;  poets, 
come  hither  in  quest  of  inspiration  ! " 

It  is  thus  that  Morlent  expresses  himself  in  his  "  Mono- 
graphic du  Havre."  It  is  true  that  Morlent — as  the 
reader  will  conjecture — wrote  in  1825.  Since  that  date 
many  things  have  greatly  changed — the  descriptive  style 
as  well  as  the  valley  of  Sainte- Adresse,  which  is  no  longer 
anything  else  than  a  suburb  of  Havre,  covered  with 
edifices  of  a  more  or  less  picturesque  character. 

The  most  curious  thing  which  Sainte- Adresse  has  pre- 
served is  the  story  of  the  origin  of  its  name.  Namely  :  that 
a  vessel  driven  by  the  currents  into  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  promontory  of  La  Heve,  which  then  extended  a 
greater  distance  into  the  sea,  was  on  the  point  of  perishing. 
Already  the  despairing  sailors  had  given  up  further  efforts  ; 


226  A  FANTASTIC  LEGEND. 

the  pilot,  having  abandoned  the  rudder,  imitated  the  rest 
of  the  crew,  and  commended  his  soul  to  St.  Denis,  patron- 
saint  of  Caux,*  whose  spire  was  at  intervals  visible 
through  the  haze.  "  My  friends,"  said  the  captain,  who 
in  these  circumstances  had  retained  his  presence  of  mind, 
"it  is  not  St.  Denis  we  must  invoke,  but  Sainte-Adresse 
(St.  Skill),  for  it  is  only  she  who  at  this  crisis  can  carry 
us  safely  into  port."  The  sailors  regained  courage ;  the 
ship  entered  Havre ;  and  the  phrase  "  Sainte-Adresse  " 
became  everywhere  popular. 

In  reference  to  La  Heve,  the  great  writer,  Bernardin  de 
Saint-Pierre,  a  native  of  Havre,  relates  a  fantastic  legend : — 

"  The  Seine  " — it  is  Cephas,  one  of  the  personages  of 
the  Arcadia,  who  speaks — "  the  daughter  of  Bacchus  and 
nymph  of  Ceres,  had  pursued  into  the  land  of  the  Gauls 
the  goddess  of  wheat,  when  she  was  seeking  all  the  earth 
over  for  her  daughter  Proserpine.  When  Ceres  had 
terminated  her  wanderings,  the  Seine  begged  of  her, 
as  a  reward  for  her  services,  the  meadows  through  which 
the  river  at  present  flows.  The  goddess  consented,  and 
granted,  moreover,  that  wine  should  grow  wherever  the 
daughter  of  Bacchus  planted  her  feet.  She  left  then  the 
Seine  upon  these  shores,  and  gave  her  as  her  companion 
and  follower  the  nymph  Heva,  who  was  bidden  to  watch 
beside  her,  for  fear  she  might  be  carried  away  by  some 
god  of  the  sea,  as  her  daughter  Proserpine  had  been  by 
the  god  of  Hades.  One  day  while  the  Seine  was  amusing 
herself  on  the  sands  in  quest  of  shells,  and  when  she  fled, 

*  Saint-Denys-Chef-de-Caux  was  formerly  the  port  of  the  town  now  called 
Sainte-Adresse.  Here  Henry  V.  disembarked,  in  1415,  when  he  laid  siege  to 
Harflenr.  But  the  sea,  gradually  encroaching  on  the  Cape,  has  destroyed  the 
village,  the  port,  and  the  church  where  St.  Denys  was  worshipped. 


ESCAPE  OF  THE  SEINE.  227 

with  loud  cries,  before  the  blue  sea-waves  which  some- 
times wetted  her  feet,  Heva,  her  companion,  discovered 
under  the  waters  the  white  locks,  the  empurpled  visage, 
and  azure  robe  of  Neptune.  This  god  had  come  from  the 
Orcades  after  a  great  earthquake,  and  was  traversing  the 
shores  of  Ocean,  examining  with  his  trident  whether  their 
foundations  had  been  shattered.  On  seeing  him,  Heva 
shrieked  loudly,  and  at  her  warning  cry  the  Seine  immedi- 
ately fled  towards  the  meadows.  But  the  sea-god  had 
also  descried  the  nymph  of  Ceres,  and  moved  by  her 
brightness  and  charming  mien,  he  drove  his  sea-horses  in 
swift  pursuit.  Just  as  he  was  on  the  point  of  overtaking 
her,  she  cried  upon  Bacchus  her  father,  and  Ceres  her 
mistress.  Both  heard  her;  and  as  Neptune  stretched 
forth  his  arms  to  seize  her,  all  the  body  of  the  Seine  dis- 
solved into  water ;  her  green  veil  and  vestments,  which 
the  winds  fluttered  before  her,  were  changed  into  emerald 
waves ;  she  was  transformed  into  a  river  of  the  same 
colour,  which  still  finds  a  pleasure  in  winding  through  the 
scenes  she  had  loved  in  her  days  of  nymph-hood :  but 
what  is  best  worthy  of  notice  is,  that  Neptune,  despite 
the  metamorphosis,  has  never  ceased  to  love  her,  as  is  also 
said  of  the  river  Alpheus  with  regard  to  the  fountain  of 
Arethusa.  But  if  the  god  of  ocean  has  preserved  his 
passion  for  the  Seine,  the  Seine  still  cherishes  her 
antipathy  to  him.  Twice  a  day  he  pursues  her  with 
awful  roar ;  and  each  time  the  Seine  flies  from  him 
into  the  green  inlands,  ascending  towards  her  source, 
contrary  to  the  natural  course  of  rivers.*  And  ever  she 

*  It  is  almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  Saint-Pierre  here  refers  to  the  mascaret, 
or  "  bore,"  of  the  Seine. 


228  THE  CAPE  LA  HEVE. 

separates  her  green  waters  from  the  cerulean  billows  of 
ocean. 

"  Heva  died  of  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  her  mistress.  But 
the  Nereids,  to  reward  her  for  her  fidelity,  raised  to  her 
memory  on  the  shore  a  tomh  of  black  and  white  stones, 
which  are  visible  from  a  great  distance.  By  a  celestial 
artifice,  they  also  enclosed  in  them  an  echo,  that  Heva, 
after  her  death,  might  both  by  sight  and  hearing  forewarn 
the  sailor  of  the  dangers  of  the  sea.  This  tomb  is  yonder 
precipitous  mountain,  composed  of  funereal  strata  of  white 
and  black  stones.  It  still  bears  the  name  of  Heva/' 

Cape  La  Heve,  the  ancient  promontory  of  the  Caletes, 
is  one  of  the  jetties,  or  breakwaters,  of  the  great  embou- 
chure of  the  Seine  ;  in  the  tenth  century,  it  extended 
far  into  the  sea,  and  made  an  integral  part  of  the  bank  of 
1'Eclat,  which  is  now  separated  "from  it  by  a  channel  up- 
wards of  2000  yards  in  width.  The  bank,  as  its  name 
indicates,  has  been  broken  up  by  a  sudden  eruption  of 
the  currents,  or  by  an  earthquake.  Nor  has  ocean  ceased 
its  ravages,  for  it  is  calculated  that  its  waters  encroach 
seven  feet  upon  the  land  every  year. 

If  we  may  credit  an  old  chronicle,  the  origin  of  the  two 
lighthouses  of  La  Heve  is  very  ancient.  They  date  back 
to  the  epoch  when  Harfleur  was  the  rendezvous  of  Spanish 
fleets.  The  tower  which  then  surmounted  the  groyne 
(groing)  of  Caux  had  been  constructed  in  1364  ;  a  fire  was 
kindled  on  its  summit  in  all  weathers,  and  it  was  called  the 
Tour  des  Castillans.  Not  a  vestige  was  extant  when  the 
incessant  representations  of  merchants  and  seamen  deter- 
mined the  Government  of  Louis  XY.  to  comply  with  the 


THE  LIGHTHOUSE  APPARATUS.  231 

instance  of  the  Chamber  of  Normandy  by  constructing 
the  lighthouses  which  now  illuminate  the  port  of 
Havre. 

The  buildings  represented  in  the  accompanying  illustra- 
tion were  erected  in  1774.  Surmounted  at  first  by  chauffers 
in  which  coal  was  burned,  each  of  them  was  crowned  in 
1781  by  a  lantern  containing  an  illuminating  apparatus 
of  sixteen  spherical  reflectors,  some  lit  up  by  three,  and 
the  others  by  two  broad  wicks.  There  were  forty  burners 
in  the  apparatus.  The  double  paraboloidal  reflectors  of 
Bordier-Marceat,  six  to  each  lighthouse,  were  substituted 
for  these  faulty  appliances  in  1811  and  1814,  and  their 
number  increased  to  ten  in  1819.  Finally,  in  1845, 
the  towers  were  restored  and  modified  in  their  super- 
structure, so  as  to  fit  them  for  receiving  the  lenticular 
apparatus,  and  lanterns  of  12  feet  in  diameter.*  In  the 
meantime,  suitable  dwellings  for  the  light-keepers  were 
erected  between  the  two  towers.  Each  keeper  has  two 
apartments,  a  closet,  a  store-room,  and  a  wood-shed,  which 
stands  in  an  enclosed  court.  He  is  not,  therefore,  indiffer- 
ently accommodated. 

The  elevations  of  the  La  Heve  lighthouses  present  a 
very  imposing  appearance.  The  view  from  their  summit 
is  singularly  impressive,  and  has  even  been  compared  by 
travellers  to  that  of  Corinth  and  Constantinople.  When 
the  air  is  clear,  and  the  sky  unclouded,  the  spectator  can 
see  as  far  as  Barfleur  on  the  south-west;  on  the  west, 
Honfleur,  Trouville,  and  the  little  picturesque  bathing 

*  These  towers  have  recently  undergone  another  alteration,  and  are  now 
lit  by  the  electrical  apparatus  ;  giving  a  light  equal  to  5000  Carcel  burners, 
and  visible  for  upwards  of  27  miles. 


232 


AN  EXTENSIVE  PANORAMA. 


places  on  the  Normandy  coast :  Villers,  Houlgate,  Cabourg, 
Beuzeval ;  and  finally,  in  the  remote  distance,  La  Hogue, 
the  scene  of  Admiral  Russel's  celebrated  victory.  To  the 
north,  he  discerns  the  Cape  of  Antifer,  and  the  rent  and 
sombre  rocks  of  Etretat. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  LIGHTHOUSE  OF  THE  HEAUX  OP  BREHAT. 
A.D.  1830-1840. 

[|NE  of  the  most  important  of  the  French  light- 
houses is  that  whose  brilliant  fixed  light  radi- 
ates nightly  over  the  vast  and  dangerous  space 
comprised  between  the  coast  of  Brittany  and 
the  Roches-Douvres.  In  our  opulent  cities  it  would  be 
considered  a  monument  of  the  first  rank,  and  its  celebrity 
would,  perhaps,  rival  the  renown  of  the  towers  of  the 
Eddystone  and  the  Bell  Rock,  if,  like  them,  it  numbered 
as  many  years,  and  had  been  erected  at  an  epoch  when 
engineering  science  was  less  advanced  than  is  the  case  in 
the  present  day. 

As  a  matter  of  justice,  however,  we  may  remark  that, 
notwithstanding  the  self-reliance  of  its  celebrated  con- 
structor, when  he  cast  the  foundations  of  his  edifice  on  the 
formidable  rocks  of  the  Epees  de  Treguier — notwithstand- 
ing his  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  labours  of  his 
predecessors — M.  Leonce  Reynaud  found  himself  called 
upon  to  meet  and  conquer  difficulties  scarcely  less  numer- 


234  WARFARE  AGAINST  THE  ELEMENTS. 

ous  or  less  arduous  than  those  so  successfully  vanquished 
by  a  Smeaton  and  a  Stevenson. 

These  obstacles  were  of  such  a  formidable  character  that 
the  French  Lighthouse  Commission  long  hesitated,  when 
deciding  on  the  erection  of  a  lighthouse  at  the  mouth  of 
the  gulf  which  extends  between  Brittany  and  the  Co- 
tentin,  whether  its  site  should  be  on  the  mainland  or  out 
at  sea.  The  rock  on  which  the  choice  of  the  engineers 
finally  rested  was  part  of  a  group  which  the  sea  nearly 
overwhelms  at  high  tide.  It  was  evident,  therefore,  that 
the  artificers  would  only  be  able  to  work  for  a  certain 
number  of  hours  daily.  More,  the  ocean-currents  of  the 
region  in  which  it  was  situated  were  proverbially  very 
violent;  their  rate  of  speed  was  not  less  than  eight  knots 
per  second,  and  when  their  force  is  augmented  by  the 
agitation  of  a  tempest,  the  billows  rage  with  excessive  and 
formidable  fury,  swelling  to  enormous  heights,  and  filling 
the  air  with  their  clash  and  clangour. 

Nothing  daunted  by  these  difficulties,  our  engineers  set 
to  work,  and  commenced  the  erection  of  the  workmen's 
sheds.  These  were  planted  on  the  isle  of  Brehat,  at  about 
three  leagues'  distance  from  the  rock.  In  addition  to  the 
fact  that  this  island  possesses  numerous  perfectly  sheltered 
harbours,  it  is  placed  by  the  currents  under  quite  peculiar 
conditions  with  respect  to  the  rock  of  the  Heaux  :  the  ebb- 
tide swings  from  the  island  to  the  rock,  and  the  flood  rushes 
from  the  rock  to  the  island ;  and  it  is  exactly  at  low  water 
that  disembarkations  must  take  place.  Finally,  the  island 
presented  all  the  resources  desirable  for  the  accommodation 
and  provisioning  of  the  numerous  artificers  whose  services 
were  called  into  requisition  by  so  considerable  an  undertaking. 


AN  ARMY  OF  LABOUR.  235 

In  one  of  the  havens  a  jetty  of  rough  stones,  about  170 
feet  in  length,  was  constructed,  to  facilitate  the  embarka- 
tions and  disembarkations,  which  would  necessarily  be 
very  frequent.  The  harbour,  that  of  La  Corderie,  was 
exactly  opposite  the  Heaux.  In  addition  to  the  boats 
which  transported  to  the  rock  the  materials  prepared  in 
the  island,  a  very  large  flotilla  was  employed  in  conveying 
the  rough  materials,  drawn  from  all  quarters,  to  the  island. 
The  granite  came  from  the  He- Grande,  situated  about  ten 
leagues  to  the  westward  ;  the  lime  from  the  basin  of  the 
Loire ;  Saint-Malo  furnished  the  timber ;  and,  finally,  as 
the  wells  of  Brehat  did  not  supply  sufficient  water  for 
the  additional  population  and  the  uses  of  the  artificers, 
water,  as  well  as  provisions,  was  obtained  from  the  main- 
land. 

Sixty  artificers  formed  the  "  army  of  labour  "  organized 
to  carry  out  all  M.  Reynaud's  bold  designs.  Lodgings  had 
to  be  provided  for  them,  inasmuch  as  the  navigation  was 
too  uncertain,  and  the  time  during  which  boats  could 
anchor  much  too  short,  to  admit  of  their  being  daily 
carried  back  to  the  mainland.  Fortunately,  at  a  very 
short  distance  from  the  place  chosen  for  the  works,  two 
aiguilles,  or  needle-rocks,  were  found,  sufficiently  elevated 
to  remain  constantly  above  the  level  of  the  water.  The 
interval  between  them  was  filled  up  partly  with  rough 
stones  and  partly  with  masonry,  until  an  elevation  of 
thirteen  feet  above  the  sea  was  secured ;  and  a  plat- 
form was  thus  constructed  sufficiently  durable  for  the 
purpose  to  which  it  was  intended  to  put  it.  Here  were 
planted  the  huts  of  the  men,  and  the  framework  of  a 
beacon  which  was  to  carry  a  provisional  light.  You  may 


236  THEIR  "  DOMESTIC  ECONOMY." 

suppose,  gentle  reader,  that  there  was  no  room  to  be 
wasted.  In  the  beacon  was  placed,  besides  the  store- 
room and  the  keeper's  lodgings,  the  chamber  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  engineer  ;  his  bivouacking  hut  was 
on  the  right ;  by  blowing  up  a  portion  of  the  rock,  a  long 
but  narrow  apartment  was  obtained  for  the  overseers  ;  on 
the  left,  in  front,  stood  the  kitchen  and  larder ;  at  the 
side,  the  workmen's  dining-room  ;  behind,  their  sitting 
and  bed-room,  which  was  well  filled.  The  beds  were 
placed  as  close  to  each  other  as  possible,  in  two  tiers.  A 
third  range  was  situated  in  the  refectory,  above  the  table. 
And,  lastly,  on  a  projecting  crag,  to  the  left,  means  had 
been  found  to  erect  a  small  forge,  which  had  but  one 
defect,  that  it  was  often  impossible  to  keep  it  lighted  at 
high  water. 

At  first  the  workmen  were  allowed  to  supply  themselves 
as  they  pleased  with  provisions  ;  but  some  cases  of  scurvy 
having  broken  out,  the  engineer  felt  the  necessity  of 
enforcing  upon  them  a  regular  bill  of  fare.  For  this  pur- 
pose he  established  a  canteen,  and  bound  down  its  owner 
to  keep  a  stock  sufficient  for  six  weeks'  supply,  as  a 
precaution  against  possible  bad  weather,  which  might  cut 
off  all  communication  with  the  mainland.  At  this  can- 
teen each  workman  was  compelled  to  obtain  his  rations. 
Other  hygienic  measures  were  adopted.  The  hammocks 
were  every  morning  exposed  in  the  open  air,  and  once 
a  week  the  lodging-rooms  were  lime-washed.  Once  a 
week,  too,  the  whole  company  bathed.  Thanks  to  these 
precautions,  the  terrible  malady  whose  approach  had 
been  apprehended  was  driven  from  the  island,  and  the 
sanitary  condition  of  so  great  a  number  of  men  herded 


AN  ARTIFICIAL  ISLAND.  237 

together  in  a  very  limited  compass  remained  constantly 
satisfactory. 

Every  day,  as  soon  as  the  tide  had  ebbed,  the  artificers 
repaired  to  work,  and  the  hours  for  meals  were  so  arranged 
that  no  interruption  took  place  while  the  tide  lasted. 
When  the  rising  waters  forced  them  to  abandon  the  rock, 
a  bell  gave  the  signal.  They  then  hastened  to  cover  with 
a  cement  which  hardened  instantaneously  the  portions  of 
masonry  which  had  just  been  finished,  and  took  refuge  in 
their  abodes.  Sometimes,  however,  it  would  happen  that 
the  sea  rose  with  unusual  rapidity ;  woe,  then,  to  the 
tardy  !  They  had  no  other  resource  but  to  throw  them- 
selves into  the  water  before  its  depth  became  dangerous  ; 
an  amusement  for  the  on-lookers,  and  almost  their  only 
one.  Thanks  tp  these  measures  of  order  and  supervision, 
the  engineer  had  not  to  regret  the  loss  of  any  of  the  members 
of  his  laborious  little  colony ;  although,  during  the  course 
of  their  works,  many  ships,  and,  still  more  unfortunately, 
several  visitors,  perished. 

Let  us  now  say  a  few  words  respecting  the  work  itself. 

The  principal  difficulty  of  the  operation  consisted  in 
erecting  the  submarine  portion  of  the  building.  Once  the 
level  of  high-water  mark  was  reached,  the  men  could 
not  only  carry  on  their  labours  more  conveniently,  but 
were  relieved  from  the  most  critical  chances.  Thence- 
forth they  had  nothing  further  to  do  with  the  sea  than  as 
regarded  the  process  of  landing,  and  to  a  certain  extent 
they  built  upon  an  island.  But  on  this  artificial  island 
everything  depended,  and  in  its  formation  every  precau- 
tion had  to  be  studied. 


. 


238  EXCA  VA  TING  THE  FO  UN  DA  T10N. 

The  rock  on  which  the  lighthouse  rests  consists  of  an 
extremely  hard  and  resistant  black  porphyry.  Neverthe- 
less, as  in  some  places  it  showed  numerous  fissures,  the 
work  began  with  the  removal  of  all  the  superficial  part,  so 
as  to  secure  a  properly  sound  basis ;  and  as,  at  the  same 
time,  it  was  of  great  importance  that  the  foundation 
should  never  be  exposed,  M.  Reynaud  adopted  the  neces- 
sary measures  to  sink  it  completely  in  the  rock.  With 
this  view,  an  annular  surface  of  38  feet  in  diameter, 
destined  to  support  the  hewn  stone  work,  was  excavated 
in  the  porphyry  to  a  depth  of  about  twenty  inches,  and 
dressed  with  the  utmost  exactitude  ;  a  labour  of  excessive 
difficulty  on  account  of  the  tenacity  of  the  rock,  but  a 
certain  safeguard  against  future  danger.  In  the  groove 
thus  protected  by  the  whole  mass  of  porphyry  were 
deposited  the  first  courses.  As  for  the  part  of  the  rock 
corresponding  to  the  interior  of  the  tower,  no  special  neces- 
sity for  extra  precautions  existing  in  respect  to  it,  it  was 
left  in  its  rough  state,  with  simply  a  layer  of  concrete. 

With  a  view  to  that  stability  which  has  become  for  the 
engineer  a  principle  of  elegance,  the  building,  155  feet 
in  height,  has  been  divided  into  two  principal  parts.  The 
first,  concave  at  its  base,  is  of  solid  masonry  up  to  three 
feet  three  inches  above  the  level  of  the  highest  tides ;  its 
diameter  at  the  base  is  38  feet,  and  at  its  summit  28  feet. 
The  second,  reposing  on  this  impregnable  foundation,  pre- 
sents that  measure  of  lightness  which  would  have  been  con- 
sidered suitable  for  a  tower  of  the  same  elevation  built 
upon  the  mainland.  The  thickness  of  the  wall  is  50  inches 
below,  and  30  inches  above. 


A  HOLD  CONCEPTION.  239 

As  for  the  methods  adopted  by  the  architect,  it  does  not 
seem  necessary  to  describe  them  in  detail ;  they  would 
only  prove  interesting  to  readers  of  scientific  acquirements. 
Yet  we  feel  disinclined  to  pass  over  in  silence  a  bold  con- 
ception which  does  honour  to  M.  Reynaud ;  namely,  that, 
contrary  to  a  generally  accepted  idea,  it  is  not  necessary  in 
works  of  this  kind  to  bind  together  all  the  stones  as  a 
whole,  under  a  supposition  that  the  sea  may  sweep  them 
away  during  or  after  the  execution  of  the  works.  Thus,  in 
the  lighthouses  of  the  Eddystone  and  the  Bell  Rock,  all  the 
stones  in  the  lower  courses  are  dove-tailed  into  one  another 
after  the  most  ingenious  designs,  and  held  together  by 
plugs  of  iron  and  wood.  Unquestionably,  says  Reynaud, 
these  arrangements  are  not  without  efficacy ;  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  sufifrcient  reasons  for  them  exist.  Perhaps 
they  even  present  more  inconveniencies  than  advantages, 
for,  in  addition  to  their  cost,  they  necessitate  a  trouble- 
some delay  in  the  execution  of  works  which  it  is  of 
importance  to  raise  as  rapidly  as  possible  above  the  level 
of  the  sea. 

The  architect  of  the  lighthouse  of  the  Heaux  has  not, 
then,  fixed  each  single  stone ;  he  has  confined  himself  to 
arresting  at  certain  points  the  total  mass  of  water  which 
he  supposed  might  be  set  in  motion  during  each  tide. 
Consequently  each  layer  was  divided,  for  this  purpose, 
into  a  certain  number  of  portions ;  twelve  for  the  lower, 
and  eight  for  the  upper  courses.  All  the  stones  of 
these  great  key-stones  rested  one  upon  another  by  means 
of  salient  and  re-entering  edges  ;  and,  more,  those  of  the 
angles  were  securely  fastened  to  the  course  beneath  by 
plugs  of  granite.  Experience  has  proved  this  simple 

(2G2)  16 


240          THE  COURSE  OF  LABOUR  NOT  SMOOTH. 

arrangement  to  be  sufficient ;  no  injury  has  occurred  to 
contradict  the  principle  on  which  it  was  founded. 

Such  are  the  means  by  which  this  almost  unequalled 
pharos  of  the  Heaux  was  completed.  It  occupied  six 
years  in  erection.  The  first  was  employed  in  examining 
the  localities  and  perfecting  the  plans ;  the  second,  in  the 
establishment  of  the  cabins  and  the  formation  of  the  groove 
in  the  rock ;  the  third,  in  the  construction  of  the  solid 
masonry ;  during  the  fourth,  the  tower  was  raised  as  far 
as  the  first  gallery;  in  the  fifth,  a  little  above  the  cornice; 
finally,  in  1839,  the  lantern  was  fixed  and  lighted.  The 
monument  bears  the  following  inscription  :  "  This  edifice, 
commenced  in  1836,  was  completed  in  1839,  in  the  reign 
of  Louis  Philippe/' 

Rapid  and  successful  as  was  the  work,  it  was  neverthe- 
less marked  by  some  accidents.  At  the  commencement  of 
the  campaign  of  1836,  all  the  machines  were  in  their 
places,  and  preparations  were  being  made  to  lay  the  first 
stone,  when  the  whole  was  swept  away  by  an  extraordinary 
wave.  We  have  heard  the  engineer  describe  the  cruel 
regret  he  experienced  on  arriving  at  the  rock,  after  having 
been  separated  from  it  for  three  days  by  the  tempest,  and 
discovering  all  his  works  prostrated,  most  of  his  artificers 
wounded,  the  whole  of  them  demoralized,  and  in  the 
midst  of  the  confusion  the  seamen,  who  had  never  been 
willing  to  believe  in  the  feasibility  of  the  matter,  laughing 
aloud.  He  did  not  lose  his  courage,  and  skilfully  revived 
the  ardour  of  his  men  at  the  same  time  that  he  raised  anew 
his  apparatus.  A  "  crab  "  was  planted  on  the  precipitous 
rock,  at  whose  foot  the  barges  brought  alongside,  and  the 
materials  were  transported  with  the  assistance  of  a  railway 


•III 


DEFYING  OCEAN.  243 

laid  down  on  the  precipice  which  separated  this  natural 
landing-place  from  the  site  of  the  tower. 

Alone,  in  the  midst  of  ocean,  the  lighthouse  of  the 
Heaux  of  Brehat  acquires,  by  its  very  isolation,  a  character 
of  severe  grandeur  which  profoundly  impresses  the  voyager. 
As  Michelet  says,  it  has  the  sublime  simplicity  of  a 
gigantic  sea-plant.  Enormous,  immovable,  silent,  it 
seems,  in  truth,  a  defiance  flung  by  the  genius  of  man 
in  the  teeth  of  the  spirit  of  the  storm.  Sometimes,  says 
M.  de  Quatrefages,  you  would  say  that,  sensible  of  the 
outrage,  the  heavens  and  the  sea  league  together  against 
the  enemy  who  braves  them  by  its  impassability.  The 
impetuous  winds  of  the  north-west  roar  around  the  lantern, 
and  hurl  torrents  of  rain  and  whirlwinds  of  hail  and  snow 
against  its  solid  crystal.  Under  the  impulse  of  their 
irresistible  breath  gigantic  billows  hurry  up  from  the  open 
sea,  and  sometimes  reach  as  high  as  the  first  gallery ;  but 
these  fluent  masses  glide  over  the  round  polished  surface 
of  the  granite,  which  does  not  offer  them  any  holding- 
place  ;  they  even  fling  long  streams  of  foam  above  the 
cupola,  and  dash  down  with  a  groan  on  the  rocks  of 
Stallio-Bras  or  the  shingly  beach  of  the  Sillon.  But 
without  a  quiver  the  lighthouse  supports  these  terrible 
attacks.  Yet  it  bends  towards  them  as  if  to  render 
homage  to  the  power  of  its  adversaries.  The  keepers 
have  assured  me  that  during  a  violent  tempest,  the  oil 
vessels,  placed  in  one  of  the  highest  chambers,  show  a 
variation  in  level  of  upwards  of  an  inch,  which  supposes 
that  the  summit  of  the  tower  describes  an  arc  of  more 
than  a  yard  in  extent.  For  the  rest,  this  very  pliancy  may 


244  VIBRATION  OF  THE  MASONRY. 

be  regarded  as  a  pledge  of  durability.  At  least,  we  find  it 
in  numerous  monuments  which  have  braved  for  centuries 
the  inclemencies  of  the  season.  The  spire  of  Strasburg 
Cathedral,  for  instance,  curves,  under  the  breath  of  the 
winds,  its  long  ogives,  and  its  graceful  little  columns,  and 
balances  its  four-armed  cross,  elevated  440  feet  above  the 
soil. 

The  keepers  of  the  lighthouse  of  the  Heaux  did  not 
deceive  M.  de  Quatrefages.  Observations  made  in  other 
lighthouses,  erected  in  the  open  sea,  confirm  the  statement 
they  made  to  him.  If  these  monuments  of  human  skill 
and  industry  are  130  feet  in  height  and  upwards,  their 
agitation  becomes  sufficiently  perceptible  to  spill  any  liquids 
in  uncovered  vessels,  to  shake  the  movable  weights  of  the 
mechanism,  rattle  against  the  sides  of  the  descending 
tubes,  and,  in  a  word,  to  suggest  to  visitors  a  vivid  idea 
of  the  roll  of  a  ship.  Towers  built  after  this  fashion  are, 
in  fact,  reeds  of  stone  which  bend  before  the  wind ;  but, 
like  the  reeds,  they  raise  their  heads  again  as  soon  as  the 
hurricane  has  passed. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  GRAND  BARGE  D'OLONNE. 
A.D.  1861. 

jjE  must  not  take  leave  of  French  oceanic  light- 
houses— that  is,  of  lighthouses  built  out  at 
sea — without  a  brief  reference  to  that  of  the 
Grand  Barge  d'Olonne.  Situated  on  a  rock 
of  shoal  about  1.134  nautical  miles  from  the  shore,  in  a 
situation  surrounded  by  obstacles  of  every  kind,  where  the 
currents  are  excessively  violent,  and  where  the  tempests  so 
disturb  and  madden  the  sea  as  to  render  nugatory  all 
known  methods  of  construction,  this  lighthouse  does  the 
greatest  honour  to  its  architects. 

Its  foundation  is  almost  completely  submerged,  and 
during  high  tides  the  waves  leap  to  a  height,  it  is  said,  of 
100  feet. 

The  work  was  undertaken  in  1857,  and  completed  in 
1861 ;  but  such  were  the  difficulties  offered  by  the  nature 
of  the  locality,  that  in  these  five  years  only  one  thousand 
nine  hundred  and  sixty  hours  could  be  devoted  to  con- 
secutive labour.  Yet,  so  familiar  are  now  the  principles 


246  PROGRESS  IN  ENGINEERING. 

on  which  edifices  of  this  nature  must  be  constructed,  or 
— to  speak  more  justly — so  confident  in  their  own  re- 
sources are  the  engineers  who  devise  and  erect  them, 
that  even  this  comparatively  brief  period  proved  amply 
sufficient. 

The  entire  cost  of  the  work  was  450,000  francs,  or 
£18,000.  It  was  executed  under  the  direction  of  M.  Rey- 
naud,  inspector-general,  and  M.  Forestier,  engineer-in-chief. 
The  tower  is  built  of  granite,  the  stones  of  the  face  being 
mortised  and  tenoned  together ;  its  diameter  at  the  base  is 
39.37  feet,  tapering  with  a  curved  outline  to  21.23  feet  at 
the  upper  part.  The  door-sill  is  13.12  feet  above  high- 
water  mark  of  the  highest  tides,  and  up  to  this  level  the 
tower,  with  the  exception  of  a  cellar  for  coal  and  fresh 
water,  is  solid.  Above  the  level  the  tower  is  hollow,  with 
an  internal  diameter  of  11.48  feet,  and  is  divided  into  five 
stories  by  vaults  of  brick.  The  tower  has  a  stout  cornice 
and  parapet  of  granite.  From  the  centre  of  its  platform 
rises  the  turret,  6.56  feet  high,  and  8.2  feet  in  internal 
diameter,  which  supports  the  lantern.  The  internal 
diameter  of  the  catadioptric  illuminating  apparatus  is  3.28 
feet,  and  gives  a  white  light  with  red  flashes  every  three 
minutes. 

The  rocky  peak  on  which  the  "  Phare  des  Barges " 
stands,  rises  about  one  and  a  half  foot  above  low  water 
of  ordinary  spring-tides  ;  but  at  low  water  of  neap-tides  is 
covered  to  the  depth  of  about  two  feet  and  a  half. 

It  is  situated  to  the  westward  of  the  port  of  Sables- 
d'Olonne. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  LIGHTHOUSES  OF  WALDE,  THE  ENFANT  PERDU,  AND 
NEW  CALEDONIA. 

A.D.  1859—1863—1865. 

jE  have  spoken  of  the  patriarch  of  the  French 
lighthouses,  the  venerable  Tower  of  Cordova ; 
it  would  be  unfair  to  forget  the  youngest  of 
the  family,  that  of  New  Caledonia.  Inde- 
pendently of  the  services  which  it  renders  in  the  region  it 
illuminates,  this  edifice  has,  so  to  speak,  a  physiognomy  of 
its  own  :  it  is  built  of  iron,  and  structures  of  this  material 
are  sufficiently  rare  to  justify  us  in  devoting  a  few  lines  to 
its  description. 

Iron  is  not  so  suitable  as  stone  for  the  construction  of 
lighthouses ;  it  is  not  so  durable,  it  is  more  expensive 
in  working  and  repairing,  and  it  affords  a  less  efficacious 
protection  against  the  thermometrical  variations  of  the 
atmosphere.  Yet  under  certain  circumstances  our  en- 
gineers gladly  have  recourse  to  it.  It  has  given  rise  to 
various  systems  of  construction.  One  of  these,  invented 
by  Mr.  Mitchell,  has  been  successfully  applied  in  several 
instances  in  England  ;  and  has  been  adopted  in  France  for 


250  THE  "ENFANT  PERDU." 

the  lighthouse  of  Walde,  kindled  in  1859  to  the  north  of 
Calais,  on  a  sandy  shore  stretching  far  out  into  the  sea ; 
and  for  the  lighthouse  erected  on  the  rock  of  the  Enfant 
Perdu  (coast  of  Guiana).  It  consists  of  iron  pillars  pro- 
tected in  the  lower  part  by  strong  metal  screws,  strength- 
ened by  cross  bars  and  St.  Andrew's  crosses,  and  sur- 
mounted, at  a  suitable  distance  above  the  sea-level,  by  a 
platform  which  supports  the  rooms  of  the  keepers.  The 
whole  erection  is  crowned  by  the  lantern. 

Since  we  are  speaking  of  this  pharos  of  the  Enfant 
Perdu,  let  us  say  how  difficult  a  task  was  its  construction. 
"  More  than  once/'  writes  Vivian,  the  chief  engineer  of 
Cayenne,  "  it  was  necessary,  in  order  to  fix  a  running 
hawser  for  landing  purposes,  that  stout  and  courageous 
men  should  resolutely  dash  into  the  sea,  and  swim  with  a 
rope  to  the  shore.  The  risk  of  being  flung  against  the 
rocks  was  not  the  least  they  ran,  for,  as  at  the  bar  of  the 
Senegal,  sharks  abound  in  these  regions.  The  ebb  and 
flow  render  navigation  very  difficult ;  more  than  one  of 
the  men  were  wounded,  and  we  may  say  that  all  sported 
with  their  lives/' 

Yet  here,  as  elsewhere,  resolution,  industry,  and  perse- 
verance have  triumphed  over  every  obstacle. 

The  framework  of  the  pharos  at  Port  de  France,  New 
Caledonia,  like  that  of  the  Roches-Douvres,  is  made  up  of  six- 
teen uprights,  each  composed  of  fourteen  pannels.  Each 
pannel  is  formed  of  T  irons,  consolidated  and  riveted  together 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  be  perfectly  firm — an  object  fully 
attained,  for  the  oscillations  experienced  in  lighthouses  ot 
stone  are  in  this  scarcely  discernible.  These  pannels  are 
pinned  one  upon  another,  while  cross  bars  applied  both  with- 


LIGHTHOUSE  AT  NEW  CALEDONIA, 


251 


in  and  without,  and  likewise 
pinned,  keep  the  uprights 
in  their  position.  Finally, 
on  these  latter  cross  bars, 
and  on  the  inner  sides  of 
the  uprights,  rest  the  plates 
of  sheet  iron  constituting 
the  walls,  or  sides,  whose 
joints  are  covered  by  iron 
platbands,  fixed  by  bolts. 

The  height  of  the  New  * 
Caledonia  lighthouse  is  164 
feet,  or  170  feet  if  we  mea- 
sure from  the  base  of  the 
tower  to  the  point  of  the 
lightning  -  conductor.  Its 
apparatus  is  of  the  first  class, 
lenticular,  with  a  fixed  white 
light,  whose  range  is  twenty- 
two  miles.  The  spot  on 
which  it  is  raised  is  an 
island  of  sand,  such  as  the 
coral  animals  form  in  so 
great  and  dangerous  a  num- 
ber in  the  southern  seas,  and 
is  situated  to  the  south-west 
of  Noumea. 

Constructed  at  Paris,  and 
transported  in  pieces  to  the 


Antipodes,    the     pharos    of      LIGHTHOUSE  AT  NEW  CALEDONIA. 


252  THE  EXTENSION  OF  CIVILIZATION. 

New  Caledonia  was  inaugurated  on  the  15th  of  November 
1865,  with  all  the  ceremonial  appropriate  to  so  important 
an  event.  After  the  benediction  of  the  monument  by  the 
priests  of  Noumea,  M.  the  Commandant  Guillain  pronounced 
a  discourse,  from  which  we  extract  the  following  passage  : — 

"  If,  transporting  ourselves  in  thought  into  the  different 
regions  of  the  civilized  world,  we  examine  the  events  trans- 
piring there,  the  most  magnificent  panorama  is  unrobed 
before  our  eyes.  Everywhere, — and  this  will  be  the  glory 
of  our  epoch, — everywhere,  great  works  are  being  executed 
to  bring  the  peoples  together,  to  multiply  their  relations, 
to  prepare,  in  a  word,  that  universal  brotherhood,  destined 
and  reserved  by  Providence  for  future  generations." 

The  savages,  attracted  by  the  brilliancy  of  the  festival, 
mingled  with  the  French  soldiers,  seamen,  and  colonists. 
Did  they  understand  this  wise  and  noble  speech?  We 
fear  not.  But  Time  marches  onward  for  them  as  for  us, 
and  Time,  which  has  already  destroyed  their  horrible  cus- 
tom of  cannibalism,  will  one  day  explain  its  full  meaning 
to  them.  Nor  is  this  glorious  epoch  far  remote  ;  wherever 
beams  the  lighthouse-lamps,  the  sails  of  rich  argosies 
whiten  the  horizon,  wafted  from  sea  to  sea  by  the  powerful 
impulses  of  civilization ! 


BOOK   V. 

THE  A  V  XI LI  ARIES  OF  LIGHTHOUSES. 

CHAPTER  I. 

FLOATING  LIGHTS  :    LIGHTSHIPS. 

[GHTHOUSES  form  the  first  line  of  tlie  coast 
defences  which  man  raises  for  his  protection 
against  the  fury  of  the  ocean.  But  there  are 
many  parts  of  the  coasts  of  every  maritime 
country  which  are  unsuitable  for  their  construction,  whether 
they  be  built  of  stone  or  iron,  and  which,  nevertheless, 
stand  greatly  in  need  of  illumination.  In  England,  espe- 
cially, these  points  are  numerous.  Among  others,  we 
may  refer  to  the  Groodwin  Sands — that  fatal  tract  off  the 
shore  of  Kent  which  has  been  the  destruction  of  so  many 
"  tall  ships"  and  "  adventurous  mariners,"  whose  name  has 
for  centuries  been  associated  with  the  memory  of  the  most 
deplorable  disasters.  On  the  entire  coast  of  England  there 
is  probably  no  other  locality  so  fatally  connected  with  dismal 
stories  of  human  suffering,  and  yet  it  was  long  impossible 


254  AN  INGENIOUS  PROJECTOR. 

to  warn  the  sailor  from  it  by  any  certain  agency.  Light- 
houses could  not  be  stationed  on  its  shifting  sands ;  and  it 
seemed  as  if  this  one  wild  waste  must  of  necessity  be  aban- 
doned to  the  pitiless  winds  and  not  more  compassionate 
seas.  However,  towards  the  close  of  the  last  century,  the 
idea  occurred  to  one  Robert  Hamblin  of  substituting 
floating  lights  for  fixed  lights — a  lightship  for  a  light- 
Jiouse. 

Robert  Hamblin  was  an  experienced  and  reputable 
barber  of  Lynn,  who  had  married  the  daughter  of  a  ship- 
owner of  that  busy  little  seaport,  and  in  due  time  had 
become  master  of  a  vessel.  He  was  engaged  in  the  coast- 
ing trade — in  carrying  coal  from  Newcastle  to  other  ports 
— and  was  thus  well  enabled  to  judge  of  the  inadequate 
manner  in  which  the  eastern  coast  was  lighted.  Accident, 
after  a  time,  introduced  him  to  a  man  whose  brain  was 
full  of  grand  projects,  but  who  was  cruelly  hampered  by 
poverty — David  Avery ;  and  the  two,  combining  their  re- 
sources— the  one  finding  the  money,  the  other  the  intellect 
— established  at  the  Nore  a  floating  light  on  board  a  ship, 
and  assumed  a  right  of  levying  tolls  for  the  maintenance 
of  this  new  pharos  (A.D.  1732). 

It  was  impossible  that  the  Trinity  House  could  regard 
this  assumption  as  other  than  an  infraction  of  their  legal 
privileges,  though  they  were  compelled  to  own  that  the 
lightship  was  successful,  and  that  it  proved  of  great 
assistance  in  the  navigation  of  the  intricate  estuary  of  the 
Thames.  Encouraged  by  the  triumphant  issue  of  his  ex- 
periment, Avery  boldly  announced  his  design  of  placing  a 
similar  vessel  among  the  waters  of  the  Scilly  Islands.  The 


SKETCH  OF  A  LIGHTSHIP.  255 

corporation  of  the  Trinity  House,  in  their  capacity  of  pro- 
tectors of  British  commerce,  then  laid  a  complaint  before  the 
Lords  of  the  Admiralty ;  who,  however,  were  either  un- 
willing or  unable  to  act.  They  next  addressed  themselves 
to  the  Crown,  representing  that  it  was  illegal  for  any  pri- 
vate individual  to  levy  a  tax  on  the  mercantile  marine ; 
and  acted  with  so  much  energy  as  to  obtain  a  royal 
proclamation  prohibiting  the  light  at  the  Nore.  Avery, 
whose  schemes  of  acquiring  almost  boundless  wealth  were 
thus  rudely  broken  up,  appeared  in  person  before  the 
Board,  and  proposed  to  treat  with  them  in  reference  to  the 
Nore  light.  He  asserted  that  he  had  expended  a  sum  of 
£2000 ;  and  his  offer  was,  that  all  right  and  title  to  the 
floating  ship  should  remain  for  ever  in  the  hands  of  the 
Trinity  House,  but  that  the  tolls  should  be  levied  by  him 
and  his  heirs  for  a  period  of  sixty-one  years,  on  payment 
of  a  yearly  sum  of  £100.  These  terms  were  accepted.* 

Such,  briefly  told,  was  the  origin  of  LIGHTSHIPS. 

The  lightship,  be  it  understood,  is  not  employed  only 
to  indicate  the  position  of  a  sand-bank,  but  as  a  beacon 
against  perfidious  currents,  submarine  whirlpools,  or  reefs 
which  are  hidden  at  certain  hours  by  the  high  tide.  We 
borrow  from  the  lively  pages  of  M.  Esquiros  a  sketch  of 
this  most  useful  vessel : — 

When  first  seen,  and  especially  if  seen  from  a  distance, 
a  lightship  closely  resembles  during  the  day  an  ordinary 
barque.  But  if  examined  from  a  nearer  point  of  view,  a 
very  great  difference  between  the  two  is  readily  discernible. 
The  lightship  floats,  but  it  does  not  move ;  its  short  stout 

*  The  second  light-vessel  established  off  the  British  coast  was  the  Dudgeon 
(Lincolnshire),  in  1736. 

:262)  17 


256  SOME  FURTHER  DETAILS. 

masts  are  without  sails,  and  surmounted  by  large  balls. 
Other  ships  represent  motion ;  this,  immobility.  We 
ask  of  vessels,  as  a  rule,  that  they  shall  obey  the  wind 
and  the  wave  ;  we  ask  of  the  lightship  that  it  shall  resist 
them.  What,  indeed,  would  happen  if  it  drifted  before 
the  gale?  Like  a  meteor,  the  wandering  light  would 
deceive  the  pilot,  instead  of  warning  him.  A  ship  which 
does  not  navigate — a  fixed  and  fettered  ship  ; — such  is 
the  ideal  which  the  builder  of  the  light-vessel  keeps  ever 
before  his  mind  ;  and  this  ideal  has  naturally  troubled  the 
imagination  of  naval  architects  in  more  than  one  direction. 
The  form  of  the  lightship  varies  according  to  its  locality  : 
in  Ireland  the  hull  is  more  elongated  than  in  England ; 
but  in  all  cases  the  object  to  be  attained  is  the  same — 
resistance  to  the  force  of  the  winds  and  waves.  It  is 
desired  that  in  the  most  violent  tides,  in  the  midst  of  the 
angriest  billows,  and  in  situations  the  most  exposed  to  the 
influence  of  the  currents,  it  shall  drag  as  little  as  possible 
upon  its  anchor.  That  it  may  at  all  times  and  in  all  con- 
ditions preserve  the  same  maritime  position,  it  is  securely 
moored.  Like  a  galley-slave,  riveted  to  an  iron  chain,  it 
can  move  neither  to  the  right  nor  to  the  left.  The  length 
of  its  cable  is,  of  course,  regulated  by  circumstances  :  at 
the  Seven  Stones,  where  it  rides  in  240  feet  deep  of  water, 
it  measures  upwards  of  a  third  of  a  mile  in  length.  Some 
years  ago  it  was  found  that  the  addition  of  certain  ingeni- 
ous shackles  (so  to  speak)  controlled  its  movements ;  and 
by  various  improvements  in  its  construction,  the  result  has 
been  obtained  that,  slave  though  it  be,  it  shall  weigh  as 
little  as  possible  on  its  mooring-chains.  Usually,  the 
moorings  consist  of  a  chain  lying  along  the  sea-bed  for 


CABLES  AND  ANCHORS.  257 

1260  feet,  with  an  anchor  of  32  cwt.,  in  the  shape  of  a 
mushroom  at  either  end,  and  a  swivel  in  the  centre,  to 
which  is  attached  a  veering  cable  of  630  feet  of  chain. 

Few  instances  are  on  record  of  a  lightship  having 
broken  loose  from  its  moorings,  and  none  of  its  having 
suffered  shipwreck.  Each  vessel  carries,  for  emergencies, 
two  bower  anchors  of  20  cwt.  and  15  cwt.;  and  cables 
respectively  1260  and  900  feet  long.  Nor  is  it  known  that 


THE   LIGHTSHIP. 


the  crew  have,  on  any  occasion,  or  whatever  the  fury  of  the 
tempest,  voluntarily  changed  their  position.  If,  however,  the 
ship  should  be  driven  from  its  place  by  the  irresistible  force 
of  the  elements,  so  that  its  light  may  become  a  source  of 
danger  to  the  mariner,  they  hoist  a  red  signal  and  fire 
a  gun,  and  generally  it  is  soon  restored  to  its  normal 
situation.  The  peril  of  drifting,  and  the  presence  of  mind 


258  VARIOUS  PRECAUTIONS. 

which  the  necessary  manoeuvres  require  in  such  an  event, 
are  evidences,  nevertheless,  of  the  courage  and  resolution 
of  the  men  who  live,  day  and  night,  exposed  to  the  caprice 
of  the  seas.  As  it  is  necessary  to  prepare  for  every  acci- 
dent, a  spare  vessel  is  always  held  in  readiness  at  the  head- 
quarters of  each  district ;  owing  to  the  telegraphic  network 
which  now  surrounds  our  shores,  the  slightest  mishap  is 
soon  made  known  to  the  authorities ;  and  often  before  sun- 
set the  reserve  ship,  towed  by  a  powerful  steam-tug,  occu- 
pies the  place  of  the  vessel  which  the  storm  has  driven 
from  its  moorings.  The  lightships  of  the  Trinity  House 
are  painted  red  ;  those  of  Ireland,  Hack.  Experiment  has 
shown  that  red  and  black  are  the  two  colours  which  most 
vividly  contrast  with  the  prevailing  hue  of  the  sea.  The 
name  of  the  vessel  is  inscribed  in  large  letters  on  its 
sides.  A  flag,  bearing  a  cross  quartered  with  four 
ships,  waves  at  the  stern.  These  are  the  arms  of  the 
Trinity  House. 

Our  British  and  Irish  lightships  numbered  fifty-nine  in 
1870.  Each,  like  the  lighthouse  on  shore,  is  distinguished 
by  its  own  peculiar  aspect — by  certain  differences  which 
assist  the  navigator  in  recognizing  it,  and,  consequently,  in 
recognizing  the  particular  danger  he  is  called  upon  to  avoid. 
Some  have  one  light,  some  two  lights,  some  three  lights. 
Of  these  lights  many  are  fixed,  many  revolving,  many 
coloured.  The  building  and  equipment  of  one  of  these 
vessels  *  will  cost  from  £2000  to  £3000.  Its  maintenance, 
including  the  cost  of  oil,  the  wages  and  provisions  of  the 
men,  amounts  to  about  £1200  per  annum. 

*  The  average  length  is  80  to  90  feet,  and  the  burden  from  160  to  180  tons. 
The  Calshot,  between  Southampton  Water  and  the  mouth  of  the  Medina  (Isle 
of  Wight),  is  only  100  tons. 


THE  LIGHTSHIP  CREW.  259 

The  United  States  stand  next  to  Grreat  Britain  in  the 
number  of  lightships  which  they  support  in  the  interests 
of  commercial  enterprise.  At  one  time,  however,  their 
organization  was  very  indifferent ;  but  of  later  years  the 
system  followed  in  England  has  been  adopted  with  a  few 
unimportant  modifications.  The  American  ships  are 
painted  in  longitudinal  stripes  of  varied  colours.  In  very 
bad  weather  they  frequently  quit  their  posts,  and  return 
into  harbour. 

France  has  fewer  lightships  than  either  Grreat  Britain  or 
America,  and  only  five  whose  burthen  exceeds  seventy 
tons. 

Let  us  now  say  a  few  words  in  reference  to  the  resolute 
crews  who  man  these  vessels. 

The  crew  of  an  English  lightship  consists  of  a  master,  a 
mate,  and  nine  men.  Three  out  of  the  nine  are  intrusted 
with  the  service  of  the  lamps ;  the  six  others,  who  always 
include  among  them  a  good  carpenter,  attend  to  the  order 
and  cleanliness  of  the  vessel.  It  must  be  remembered, 
however,  that  the  nine  men  are  never  all  on  board  to- 
gether ;  one-third  are  always  enjoying  an  interval  of  rest  on 
shore.  Experience  has  proved  that  a  perpetual  sojourn 
on  board  a  ship  of  this  kind  is  too  much  for  the  moral  and 
physical  forces  of  human  nature.  The  crushing  monotony 
of  the  same  scenes,  the  eternal  spectacle  of  foam-crested 
waters  rolling  wherever  the  eye  is  turned,  the  ceaseless 
noise  of  the  winds,  the  everlasting  murmur  of  the  ocean 
— swelling  at  times  into  so  terrible  a  roar  that  it  renders 
inaudible  the  human  voice — could  not  fail  to  exercise  a 
depressing  influence  on  the  mind.  But  even  allowing  for 


260  THEIR  OCCUPATIONS. 

the  occasional  vacation  spent  upon  land,  the  life  is  so  uni- 
form and  unexciting  that  it  is  wonderful  any  man  can  be 
%  found  to  endure  it ;  and  the  crews  of  our  lightships  may 
assuredly  be  ranked  among  the  curiosities  of  civilization. 

To  mitigate  the  rigours  of  so  strange  a  profession,  the 
Trinity  Board  provides  that  each  man  shall  pass  one  month 
on  shore  for  every  two  months  he  spends  on  board ;  while 
the  captain  and  the  mate  change  places  every  month. 
But  grim  old  Neptune  does  not  always  permit  this  system 
of  reliefs  to  be  regularly  carried  out.  It  often  happens 
in  winter,  that  the  storm  and  the  tide  are  opposed  to  every 
kind  of  disembarkation ;  and  between  the  lightship  and 
the  Scilly  Islands,  for  instance,  weeks  elapse  before  the 
communication  can  be  re-established.  The  men  ashore 
are  occupied  in  cleaning  cables,  painting  buoys,  filling  the 
oil  tins,  and  similar  duties.  We  know  not  whether  what 
was  acknowledged  by  an  old  lightship  "  hand  "  is  true  of  all ; 
that  all  the  time  he  was  on  land,  he  dreamed  of  the  sea ; 
all  the  time  he  was  on  board  the  lightship,  he  dreamed 
of  the  land. 

The  visitor  of  an  English  lightship  cannot  fail  to  be 
struck  with  its  admirable  condition,  and  with  the  fine  ap- 
pearance of  its  crew.  Sun-tanned  and  weather-beaten, 
they  are  models  of  English  sailors :  frank,  self-reliant, 
unassuming,  obedient,  nimble,  vigorous,  and  resolute. 
They  seem  well-contented  with  their  lot,  and  if  they  com- 
plain at  all,  it  is  of  the  quantity  and  quality  of  their  pro- 
visions. The  ration  of  bread  (seven  pounds  a  week)  is  not 
quite  sufficient  for  hearty  men,  and  I  confess,  from  my 
own  experience,  that  the  sharp  air  to  which  they  are  ex- 
posed is  well  adapted  to  whet  one's  appetite.  When  they 


ON  BOARD  A  LIGHTSHIP.  261 

are  at  sea,  their  food  is  supplied  by  the  Trinity  House ; 
when  on  shore,  they  receive  instead  one  shilling  and  three- 
pence a  day.  Their  wages  are  fifty-five  shillings  per 
month ;  the  master  receives  £80  per  annum. 

Two  men  at  a  time  are  charged  with  the  care  of  the 
lamps,  the  third  being  on  shore ;  one  of  these  two  per- 
forms for  a  month  the  functions  of  a  cook.     Formerly,  if 
we  may  believe  public  rumour,  the  lightship  crews,  iso- 
lated by  continual  tempests  which  rendered  the  sea  im- 
practicable, have  been  reduced  to  the  extremest  necessities, 
have  even  perished  of  hunger.     To  prevent  the  recurrence 
of  such  calamities,  a  steamboat  or  a  good  stout  sailing- 
vessel  regularly  visits  the  lightship  once  a  month.      In  the 
worst  weather  the  communication  is  never  interrupted  for  a 
longer  period  than  six  weeks,  and  the  stock  of  provisions 
is  always  sufficient  to  last  the  crew  for  even  a  longer  time. 
The  lanterns  in  which  the  lamps  are  fixed  are  hung 
round  the  mast ;  during  the  day  they  are  lowered  on  deck 
that  they  may  be  cleaned,  and  supplied  afresh  with  oil ; 
at  night,  this  crown  of  lights  is  raised  to  its  conspicuous 
position  by  means  of  a  pulley.     The  ship  is  also  provided 
with  some  small  cannon  and  a  gong.     But,  unfortunately, 
these  signals  are  not  always  comprehended  by  foreign  ships. 
The  crew  of  the  Scilly  lightship,  says  Esquiros,  have 
witnessed  but  two  shipwrecks ;  in  the  one  instance,  they 
saved  a  single  life ;  in  the  other,  all  the  passengers,  with 
the  exception  of  the  wife  of  a  missionary.     It  is  not,  how- 
ever, a  part  of  their  duty  to  go  to  the  rescue  of  vessels  in 
danger ;  and  if  the  authorities  admire,  for  obvious  reasons 
they  do  not  encourage  such  acts  of  heroism.     Their  sole 
and  all-absorbing  duty  is  to  take  care  of  the  light.     The 


262  «  TAKE  CARE  OF  THE  LIGHT." 

discipline  to  which  they  are  subjected  is  severe,  and  no 
man  may  quit  his  post  under  any  pretence  whatever.  A 
sailor,  in  1854,  having  been  informed  of  his  wife's  death, 
deserted  the  lightship,  and  repaired  to  London  to  attend 
her  funeral.  He  was  reprimanded,  and  it  wras  only  in 
consideration  of  the  motive  which  had  induced  his  absence 
that  the  authorities  refrained  from  discharging  him.  The 
lightship  of  the  Seven  Stones,  off  the  Scilly  Islands,  is  the 
most  exposed  of  all  the  vessels  on  the  British  coast ;  *  its 
captain,  however,  considers  that  it  rides  much  more  easily 
on  its  anchors  in  a  sea  where  waves  are  long  and  regular, 
than  those  ships  which  are  moored  in  seas  with  short  and 
contrary  waves.  He  will  tell  you  that  his  gallant  barque 
is  always  ready  for  the  tempest.  And  yet  its  deck  is 
sometimes  washed  by  the  waves,  and  when  the  sea  strikes 
against  its  broadside,  the  roar  is  like  the  discharge  of  a 
piece  of  artillery. 

On  board  every  lightship  the  life  of  the  crew  is  much 
the  same.  On  Sunday,  at  dawn,  the  lantern  is  lowered, 
and  the  lamp-lighter  cleans  and  prepares  his  lamps  for  the 
next  night's  work.  At  eight  o'clock  everybody  must  be 
on  the  alert ;  the  hammocks  are  hung  up,  and  breakfast 
is  served.  Afterwards,  the  men  wash  and  put  on  their 
uniform,  of  which  they  are  very  proud,  for  on  its  buttons 
figure  the  arms  of  the  Trinity  House.  At  half-past  ten 
they  assemble  in  the  cabin,  and  the  captain  or  mate  per- 
forms divine  service.  At  sunset  the  lighted  lantern  is 
hoisted  up — the  real  standard  of  the  vessel — and  the  crew 

*  Others  which  occupy  dangerous  positions  are,  the  Leman,  the  Ower,  the 
Newarp,  the  Sunk,  and  the  Kentish  Knock. 


DAY  BY  DAY.  263 

again  meet  together  for  prayer  and  the  reading  of  the 
Scriptures.  With  the  exception  of  the  morning  and  even- 
ing services,  the  week-days  close  resemble  the  Sundays. 
Wednesday  and  Friday  are  the  chief  cleaning  days,  and  the 
ship  then  shines  with  cleanliness.  To  watch  over,  and 
maintain  in  due  order,  the  lighting  apparatus ;  to  keep 
watch  on  deck ;  to  note  seven  times  in  every  twenty-four 
hours  the  conditions  of  the  wind  and  atmosphere;  to 
attend  to  the  condition  of  the  mooring-chains ; — such  is  the 
almost  invariable  circle  of  their  occupations.  Their  leisure 
time,  which  is  not  inconsiderable,  they  employ  in  reading. 
A  library  is  always  kept  on  board,  and  the  books  are 
circulated  from  hand  to  hand,  and  ship  to  ship.  Under 
such  circumstances  how  miserable  would  be  the  condition 
of  a  man  who  could  neither  read  nor  write  !  Yet  such  is 
sometimes  the  case  with  a  few  on  first  entering  the  service; 
but  whether  it  be  the  force  of  example,  or  the  necessity  of 
overcoming  the  oppressive  ennui  of  idle  hours,  it  generally 
happens  that,  with  the  assistance  of  the  captain  or  mate, 
they  more  or  less  repair  this  absolute  want  of  education. 
One  of  the  best  officers  of  the  company  is  a  man  who 
taught  himself  reading  and  writing  in  order  that  he  might 
obtain  an  engagement  on  board  a  lightship.  The  seamen 
also  devote  their  leisure  to  all  kinds  of  ingenious  manual 
work,  and  some  of  them  set  to  work  as  shoemakers,  joiners, 
tailors,  wood-carvers,  and  the  like. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LANDMARKS,  BEACONS,  AND  BUOYS. 

[0  complete  our  account  of  the  defences  of  our 
coast,  we  must  refer  to  works  of  less  pretension 
than  lighthouses  and  lightships,  and  of  less 
utility,  though  still  of  very  considerable  im- 
portance. They  present  themselves  under  various  forms, 
and  they  have  different  names,  according  to  their  respec- 
tive positions  and  objects.* 

Let  us  first  direct  our  attention  to  landmarks  and 
beacons ;  by  which,  in  nautical  language,  we  mean  every 
terrestrial  object  that  assists  the  seaman  in  calculating  his 
data,  and  determining  his  course.  The  spires  of  churches, 
the  towers  of  castles,  windmills,  tall  isolated  trees,  or  rocks 
of  a  characteristic  configuration,  are  useful  for  this  purpose. 
Solitary  peaks,  like  that  of  Teneriffe — volcanoes  surmounted 
by  a  canopy  of  smoke — are  gigantic  landmarks  which  assist 
the  navigator  in  rectifying  his  geographical  position. 

Among  the  very  numerous  class  of  landmarks  we  meet 
with  a  few  as  celebrated  as,  or  even  more  celebrated  than, 


*  Founded  on  a  chapter  in  M.  Kenard's  "  Les  Phares  ; "  and  an  article  in 
Chambers's  Journal,  February  1870. 


PILLARS  OF  HERCULES.  2.65 

the  majority  of  our  lighthouses.  Such  are  the  Pillars  of 
Hercules — anciently  designated  the  Columns  of  Saturn  or 
of  Briareus  —  and  Pompey's  Pillar,  near  Alexandria. 
One  thing  is  wanting,  however,  to  the  glory  of  the  Pillars 
of  Hercules — that  they  should  have  existed.  Hesychius, 
nevertheless,  asserts  that  there  were  three  or  four,  while, 
according  to  Edrisi,  six  were  placed  on  the  sea-coast ;  the 
easternmost  at  Cadiz,  in  Andalusia;  the  others  in  the 
islands  of  the  Shadowy  Seas,  as  a  warning  to  navigators 
not  to  advance  beyond  them.  But  Strabo,  when  speaking 
of  the  foundation  of  Cadiz  by  the  Tyrians,  puts  forward 
some  doubts  as  to  the  accuracy  of  this  statement,  and  his 
doubts  seem  notrto  have  been  ill-founded.  We  believe 
with  him  that  these  famous  Pillars  of  Hercules  existed 
only  in  the  imagination  of  the  writers  of  antiquity,  who 
were  frequently  as  enthusiastic  in  belief  of  fable  as  of  truth. 
The  best  known  sites  of  the  pillars,  whether  they  were 
real  or  fabulous,  were  at  Calpe,  on  the  European  shore  of 
the  Straits  of  Gibraltar,  and  at  Abyla,  on  the  African.  But 
what  the  pillars  were,  none  of  the  ancient  authorities  are 
agreed.  According  to  Strabo,  some  believed  them  to  be 
rocky  headlands,  others,  islands ;  the  former  rising  up  from 
the  land,  the  latter  starting  out  of  the  sea,  like  gigantic 
columns.  Others,  again,  understanding  the  word  or^Aat 
literally,  looked  for  artificial  mounds,  or  columns,  or  statues, 
which  Hercules  himself  had  erected  to  indicate  the  limit  of 
his  conquests,  or  the  Phoenician  navigators  had  dedicated 
to  their  tutelary  deity,  to  record  the  extent  of  their  dis- 
coveries.* Strabo  informs  us  that  this  literal  interpre- 

*  See  Article  "  Herculis  Columnae,"  in  Smith's  "Dictionary  of  Geography," 
i.  1054. 


266  "POMPEY'S  PILLAR." 

tation  was  held  by  the  Iberians  and  Libyans,  who  denied 
that  there  existed  at  the  Straits  anything  resembling 
columns,  but  pointed  out,  as  the  Pillars  of  Hercules, 
the  bronze  columns  in  the  temple  of  the  god  at  Gades, 
on  which  the  expenses  of  building  the  temple  were 
inscribed.  He  adds  that  this  opinion  was  held  by  Posei- 
donius,  in  opposition  to  the  Greeks  in  general,  who  con- 
sidered the  pillars  to  mean  promontories. 

A  monument  not  less  famous,  and  whose  existence 
cannot  be  doubted,  inasmuch  as  it  still  answers  the  purpose 
of  a  landmark,  is  the  so-called  Pompey's  Pillar,  at  Alex- 
andria. This  structure  is  the  first  object  to  attract  the  eye 
when  you.  approach  the  classic  shores  of  Egypt ;  from  afar 
it  dominates  over  the  town,  the  minarets,  the  obelisks,  and 
the  lighthouse. 

Pompey's  Pillar — the  Amood  e  soivari  of  the  Arabs — 
occupies  the  summit  of  a  dreary,  solitary  mound,  which 
overlooks  the  Lake  Mareotis  and  the  modern  city  of  Alex- 
andria. It  may  be  described  as  a  handsome  and  stately 
Corinthian  column ;  the  shaft,  a  monolith  of  red  granite, 
73  feet  in  height ;  the  total  height,  including  capital  and 
base,  98  feet  9  inches ;  the  circumference,  29  feet  8  inches. 
Its  history  is  involved  in  considerable  obscurity.  The 
Arab  chronicler,  Abdallatif,  represents  it  to  be  the  sole  re- 
maining pillar  of  the  four  hundred  which  once  adorned 
and  enclosed  the  celebrated  Serapeion,  or  Temple  of 
Serapis ;  the  Portico,  where  Aristotle  expounded  his 
philosophical  theories;  the  Academy,  which  Alexander 
erected  when  he  founded  the  city,  and  where  the  great 
library  was  placed — the  glory  of  Alexandria — erroneously 


COLUMN  AT  ALEXANDRIA  (Known  as  Pompey's  Pillar}. 


ERECTED  BY  PUBLIUS,  269 

said   to   have   been   destroyed   by    order   of  the    Caliph 
Omar. 

The  Serapeion  was  razed  to  the  ground  at  the  instiga- 
tion of  a  furious  zealot,  the  patriarch  Theophilus.  Its 
columns  were  rent  and  shattered,  and  finally  piled  up,  as  a 
break-water,  on  the  sea-shore — all  save  the  one  stately 
pillar — the  loftiest  of  the  four  hundred — the  "pillar  of 
the  colonnades,"  as  the  Arabs  emphatically  termed  it — 
which  is  still  the  cynosure  of  European  pilgrims.  This 
was  re-erected  by  Publius  or  Pompius,  prefect  of  Egypt, 
and  a  new  capital  and  base  were  provided  for  it ;  the  whole 
being  dedicated,  as  an  inscription  on  its  pedestal  records, 
in  honour  of  the  Emperor  Diocletian,  "  the  Invincible," 
and  in  commemoration  of  the  deliverance  of  Alexandria 
from  the  insurgent  bonds  of  the  pretender  Achilleus 
(A.D.  297). 

The  summit  may  either  have  been  crowned  with  a 
statue,  or  have  simply  assisted  in  sustaining  the  cupola  of 
the  Serapeion. 

Pompey's  Pillar — as,  in  defiance  of  history,  men  still 
continue  to  call  it — stands  to-day  in  a  wild  and  dreary 
waste — widely  different  from  the  scene  that  surrounded  it 
when,  of  old,  the  Nile  swarmed  with  gilded  barges,  and 
the  waters  of  the  Mediterranean  were  ploughed  by  count- 
less argosies,  and  the  nickering  glare  of  the  pharos  was 
the  guiding  star  of  the  commerce  of  the  world.  You  reach 
it,  as  Miss  Martineau  tells  us,  through  the  dreariest  of 
cemeteries,  where  all  is  of  one  dust  colour,  even  to  the  aloe 
which  is  fixed  upon  every  grave.  From  the  base,  the  view 
is  curious  to  novices.  Groups  of  Arabs  are  at  work  in  the 
crumbling,  whitish,  hot  soil,  with  files  of  soldiers  keeping 


270  ABOUT  THE  BEACONS. 

watch  over  them.  To  the  south-east  you  obtain  a  fine 
view  of  Lake  Mareotis,  whose  slender  line  of  shore  seems 
liable  to  be  broken  through  by  the  first  ripple  of  its  waters. 
The  space  between  it  and  the  sea  is  one  expanse  of  desola- 
tion. A  strip  of  vegetation — some  marsh,  some  field,  and 
some  grove — looks  well  near  the  lake ;  and  so  do  a  little 
settlement  on  the  canal,  and  a  lateen  sail  gliding  among 
the  trees. 

As  commerce  increased,  and  flowed  into  fresh  channels, 
men  very  naturally  multiplied  on  every  coast  the  land- 
marks which  played  the  same  useful  part  by  day  as  did 
the  pharoses  by  night.  If  we  may  believe  Coulier,  we 
owe  to  the  Etruscans  the  invention  of  that  system  of 
beacons  which,  neglected  for  many  centuries,  has  been 
resuscitated  of  late  years,  and  developed  according  to  fixed 
principles.  Where  natural  landmarks  are  non-existent,  we 
now-a-days  rear  small  but  durable  constructions  of  timber 
or  masonry,  at  suitable  points  of  the  shore,  painting  them 
of  a  brown  colour  if  they  stand  defined  against  the  sky, 
as  on  the  summit  of  a  lofty  hill,  or  of  a  white  colour,  if 
they  are  projected  on  the  land.  "When  it  is  desirable  to 
indicate  the  position  of  a  submarine  reef,  on  whose  hidden 
point  a  good  many  ships  might  otherwise  go  down,  a  buoy 
is  placed  there — that  is,  a  floating  frame-work  of  iron  or 
wood,  with  or  without  a  bell,  and  painted  of  various 
colours.  Some  of  these  buoys,  as  in  the  channel  of  a 
river  or  the  water-way  of  a  harbour,  are  hollow  cones  of 
iron,  kept  in  their  positions  by  stout  cables  and  a  heavy 
anchor.  Others,  of  larger  dimensions,  resemble  a  kind  of 
cage ;  not  a  few  are  built  up  of  masonry,  where  the  water 


i 


18 


'•^ 

Library. 


ABOUT  THE  BUOYS.  273 

is  shallow,  like  small  turrets  ;  and  these  are  provided  with 
chains  and  ladders  for  the  convenience  of  shipwrecked  sea- 
men. The  floating  buoys  are  generally  furnished  with 
great  bells,  which  are  swung  to  and  fro  with  a  solemn  and 
overpowering  peal,  by  the  oscillations  of  the  waves. 
"  Beware !  beware !  "  they  seem  to  cry ;  but,  alas  !  their 
warning  sounds  are  often  heard  too  late,  and  the  "  tall 
ship,"  swept  onward  by  the  demon  of  the  storm,  frequently 
dashes  against  the  very  buoy  that  gave  warning  of  the 
danger. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  buoys  in  a  river  channel  are  painted 
red,  striped  with  white,  if  the  homeward-bound  vessel  is  to 
leave  them  on  the  right ;  and  black,  when  she  has  to  pass 
them  on  the  left.  Others  are  painted  with  horizontal 
stripes  of  red  and  black,  or  in  squares  and  diamonds, 
according  to  the  various  purposes  they  are  intended  to 
serve.  Obstacles,  such  as  wrecks,  are  marked  by  green 
buoys. 

A  buoy,  recently  invented  by  Mr.  Hubert,  and  adopted 
by  the  Trinity  Board,  is  so  constructed,  with  regard  to  the 
centre  of  flotation,  and  the  point  where  the  mooring- 
chain  is  attached,  that  it  will  keep  upright  in  almost  any 
weather. 

Another  buoy,  invented  by  Messrs.  Brown  and  Lenox, 
is  ingeniously  contrived  to  render  its  bell  audible  even 
when  the  buoy  itself  is  not  visible ;  the  stream  of  water 
passing  through  the  lower  part  of  the  framework  keeps  in 
motion  an  undershot  water-wheel,  which  incessantly  rings 
the  bell. 

The  average  size  of  the  buoys  now  in  use  is  about 
eight  feet,  but  many  are  of  larger  dimensions ;  and  some, 


274 


ON  THE  LIGHT  AGE  OF  BUOYS. 


like  North-east  Spit  Buoy,  at  the  east  end  of  Margate 
Sand,  are  twenty  feet.  Various  plans  for  lighting  them 
have  been  suggested,  but  with  no  very  successful  result. 
The  only  felicitous  instance  is  that  of  the  Arnish  Beacon 


THE    ARNISH   BEACON. 


on  the  north  coast  of  Scotland ;  it  consists  of  a  cone  of 
cast-iron  plates,  surmounted  with  a  lantern  containing  a 
glass  prism.  The  prism  is  illuminated  by  a  light  directed 
upon  it  from  Stornaway  Lighthouse ;  and  so  perfect  is  the 
deception  that  the  fishermen  long  refused  to  believe  there 
was  not  a  real  light  on  the  beacon. 

Nearly  a  thousand  buoys  are  posted  about  the  coast  of 
England  and  in  the  channels  of  her  principal  rivers. 
Scotland  and  Ireland  have  about  two  hundred  each. 
These  bear  their  own  particular  denominations,  forming  a 
very  diversified  and  somewhat  amusing  vocabulary.  We 
find  amongst  them  an  "  Eagle,"  a  "  Gull,"  a  "  Swallow," 
a  "  Horse,"  a  "  Mussel,"  a  "  Firefly ;  "  also  a  "  Cutler/'  a 


BUOY-SHIFTING.  275 

"  Constable,"  a  "  Columbine,"  and  a  "  Fairy  ;  "  a  "  Royal 
Sovereign,"  a  "  Protector ;  "  and  a  "  Tongue,"  an  "  Elbow," 
and  a  "  Longnose." 

The  position  of  every  buoy  on  the  British  coast  is  veri- 
fied once  a  quarter ;  and  every  half-year — that  is,  in  March 
and  September — all  buoys,  except  the  largest, are  "shifted," 
being  replaced  by  clean  ones.  After  a  certain  period  of 
immersion  they  lose  their  brilliancy  of  colour,  and  become 
encrusted  with  salt,  as  well  as  with  organic  matter. 
"  Buoy- shifting/'  says  a  recent  writer,  "is  a  duty  which 
calls  forth  all  the  skill  and  energy  of  the  officers  and  men 
comprising  the  crews  of  the  Trinity  House  vessels,  for  the 
buoys  are  mostly  placed  to  indicate  the  position  of  danger- 
ous shoals,  and  not  unfrequently  the  change  is  effected 
under  very  inauspicious  circumstances.  The  buoys  brought 
in  are  carefully  examined,  and  if  fit  for  further  use,  re- 
painted and  repaired." 

The  cost  of  a  buoy  varies,  according  to  its  size,  from 
twenty-five  to  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds. 


BOOK    VI. 

LIFE  IN  THE  LIGHTHOUSE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    LIGHTHOUSE-KEEPERS. 

JHE  life  of  a  lighthouse-keeper  is  not  without  a 
certain  monotony  ;  but  it  must  be  greatly 
cheered  by  the  reflection  that  it  is  devoted  to 
a  high  and  holy  service.  There  is  about  it  a 
certain  heroic  simplicity — it  is  so  completely  separated 
from  the  commonplace  aims  and  concerns  of  the  work- clay 
world  ;  and  it  is  characterized,  moreover,  by  an  austere 
regularity  which  reminds  one  of  the  existence  formerly  led 
in  grotto  and  cavern  by  saint  and  hermit,  though  its  end 
is  much  more  useful,  and  it  is  in  itself  of  far  greater 
value  to  mankind. 

The  first  article  of  the  instructions  which  every  light- 
house-keeper is  bound  to  obey — and  to  obey  as  implicitly 
as  a  soldier  obeys  the  articles  of  war — runs  thus  : — 
"  You  are  to  light  the  lamps  every  evening  at  sun-set- 


A  LIGHTHOUSE-KEEPER'S  DUTY.  277 

ting,  and  keep  them  constantly  burning,  bright  and  clear, 
till  sun-rising/' 

This  is  the  primary  condition  of  a  lighthouse-keeper's 
duty  :  for  this  he  lives,  for  this  he  toils,  for  this  he 
watches — that  the  helpful  flame  which  has  been  the  salva- 
tion of  so  many  lives  may  steadily  glow  and  brightly  burn 
from  sunset  until  sunrise. 

"  Whatever  else  happens,"  remarks  a  lively  writer,* 
"  he  is  to  do  this.  He  may  be  isolated  through  the  long 
night-watches,  twenty  miles  from  land,  fifty  or  a  hundred 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  the  winds  and  waves 
howling  round  him,  and  the  sea-birds  dashing  themselves 
to  death  against  the  gleaming  lantern,  like  giant  moths 
against  a  candle ;  or  it  may  be  a  calm,  voluptuous,  moon- 
light night,  the  soft  air  laden  with  the  perfumes  of  the 
Highland  heather  or  the  Cornish  gorse,  tempting  him  to 
keep  his  watch  outside  the  lantern,  in  the  open  gallery, 
instead  of  in  the  watch-room  chair  within ;  the  Channel 
may  be  full  of  stately  ships,  each  guided  by  his  light ;  or 
the  horizon  may  be  bare  of  all  signs  of  life,  except,  remote 
and  far  beneath  him,  the  lantern  of  some  fishing-boat  at 
sea  :  but  whatever  may  be  going  on  outside,  there  is 
within  for  him  the  duty,  simple  and  easy,  by  virtue  of  his 
moral  method  and  orderly  training,  '  to  light  the  lamps 
every  evening  at  sun-setting,  and  keep  them  constantly 
burning,  bright  and  clear,  till  sun-rising/  " 

That  this  great  article  of  the  lighthouse-keeper's  faith 
may  be  the  more  easily  carried  out,  he  is  subjected,  both 
when  on  probation  and  afterwards,  to  a  strict  discipline, 
and  is  required  to  gain  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  all 

*  "  Cornhill  Magazine,"  vol.  i.,  pp.  224,  225. 


278  HIS  ESSENTIAL  VIRTUES. 

the  materials  he  has  to  handle — lamps,  oil,  wicks,  lighting 
apparatus,  and  revolving  machinery.  Before  being  ad- 
mitted into  the  service,  he  is  carefully  examined  as  to  his 
physical  qualities  by  keen  medical  eyes  ;  and  as  to  his 
moral  qualities,  the  best  testimonials  are  necessary  from 
persons  in  whose  competency  and  honesty  of  judgment 
implicit  confidence  can  be  placed.  He  receives  liberal 
wages,  and,  when  past  work,  a  fair  pension ;  and  a  deduc- 
tion from  his  pay  is  regularly  applied  to  the  discharge  of 
a  premium  on  his  life  insurance.  He  is  enjoined  to  "  the 
constant  habit  of  cleanliness  and  good  order  in  his  own 
person,  and  to  the  invariable  exercise  of  temperance  and 
morality  in  his  habits  and  proceedings ;  so  that,  by  his 
example,  he  may  enforce,  as  far  as  lies  in  his  power,  the 
observance  of  the  same  laudable  conduct  by  his  wife  and 
family/'  The  utmost  vigilance  is  expected  of  him  when 
it  is  his  turn  to  attend  to  the  lantern.  "  He  whose  watch 
is  about  to  end  is  to  trim  the  lamps,  and  leave  them  burn- 
ing in  perfect  order,  before  he  quits  the  lantern  and  calls 
the  succeeding  watch  ;  and  he  who  has  the  watch  at  sun- 
rise, when  he  has  extinguished  the  lamps,  is  to  commence 
all  necessary  preparations  for  the  exhibition  of  the  light  at 
the  ensuing  sunset."  No  bed,  sofa,  or  other  article  on 
which  to  recline,  is  permitted,  either  in  the  lantern  or  in 
the  apartment  under  the  lantern  known  as  the  watch- 
room. 

From  these  requirements  we  may  infer  what  kind  of 
life  is  led  by  the  lighthouse-keeper,  and  what  are  its 
leading  requisites :  temperance,  cleanliness,  honesty,  con- 
scientiousness, zeal,  watchfulness.  At  different  stations  it 
varies  considerably  in  its  lighter  occupations.  In  the  rock 


A  ROMANTIC  CONCEPTION.  279 

lighthouse  —  such  as  the  Eddystone — the  keeper's  chief 
amusements  are  necessarily  reading  and  fishing  :  the  only 
capability  of  exercise  is  within  the  circle  of  the  outer  gal- 
lery, or  on  the  belt  of  rock  surrounding  the  lighthouse 
base ;  and  the  sole  incidents  which  break  up  the  unifor- 
mity of  his  daily  life  are  the  inspections  of  the  committee, 
the  visits  of  the  district  superintendent,  or  the  monthly 
relief  which  takes  the  men  back  to  shore.  In  the  shore 
lighthouse  —  as  at  Harwich  or  the  Forelands — there  is  a 
plot  of  ground  to  cultivate,  frequent  intercourse  with 
visitors  from  the  neighbouring  watering-places,  and  the 
wider  range  of  occupation  and  entertainment  which  neces- 
sarily can  be  enjoyed  upon  terra  firma. 

As  a  rule,  the  public  take  but  little  interest  in  the 
economy  of  our  lighthouses ;  and  yet  there  is  something 
singularly  romantic  in  the  idea  of  the  lone  tower  encircled 
by  boiling  waters,  with  its  warning  light  flashing  through 
the  deep  night  shadows,  and  the  heroic  men  who  hour 
after  hour  watch  with  anxious  care  lest  its  radiance  should 
be  obscured  or  extinguished. 

"  And  as  the  evening  darkens,  lo!  how  bright, 

Through  the  deep  purple  of  the  twilight  air, 
Beams  forth  the  sudden  radiance  of  its  light 
With  strange,  unearthly  splendour  in  its  glare  t 

"  Not  one  alone  :  from  each  projecting  cape 

And  perilous  reef  along  the  ocean's  verge, 
Starts  into  life  a  dim,  gigantic  shape, 

Holding  its  lantern  o'er  the  restless  surge. 

"  Like  the  great  giant  Christopher  it  stands 

Upon  the  brink  of  the  tempestuous  wave  ; 
Wading  far  out  among  the  rocks  and  sands, 
The  night-o'ertaken  mariner  to  save. 

"  And  the  great  ships  sail  outward  and  return, 

Bending  and  bowing  o'er  the  billowy  swells  ; 
And  ever  joyful,  as  they  see  it  burn, 

They  wave  their  silent  welcomes  and  farewells. 


280  GRACE  DARLING. 

"  They  come  forth  from  the  darkness,  and  their  sails 

Gleam  for  a  moment  only  in  the  blaze ; 
And  eager  faces,  as  the  light  unveils, 

Gaze  at  the  tower,  and  vanish  while  they  gaze. 

"  The  mariner  remembers  when  a  child, 

On  his  first  voyage,  he  saw  it  fade  and  sink  ; 
And  when,  returning  from  adventures  wild, 
He  saw  it  rise  again  o'er  ocean's  brink. 

"  Steadfast,  serene,  immovable,  the  same 

Year  after  year,  through  all  the  silent  night, 
Burns  on  for  evermore  that  quenchless  flame, 
Shines  on  that  inextinguishable  light! 

"  'Sail  on  !'  it  says,  '  sail  on,  ye  stately  ships! 

And  with  your  floating  bridge  the  ocean  span; 
Be  mine  to  guard  this  light  from  all  eclipse, 
Be  yours  to  bring  man  nearer  unto  man  ! '"  * 

As  a  proof  of  the  romance  that  formerly  invested  light- 
house life,  we  may  lay  before  the  reader  one  or  two  "  true 
stories." 

Off  the  coast  of  Northumberland,  and  outside,  so  to 
speak,  of  the  Fame  Islands,  lies  the  Longstone — a  rock 
about  four  feet  above  high  water-mark,  and  swept  by 
every  gale  with  fierce  drifts  of  spray  and  foam.  Here, 
about  six  miles  from  the  shore,  is  planted  a  lighthouse, 
which  has  been  found  of  great  use  to  the  coasting  vessels 
navigating  these  dangerous  waters.  Two-and-thirty  years 
ago  its  keeper  was  named  Darling.  He  had  a  daughter, 
Grace — a  quiet,  modest,  well-behaved  girl,  whose  name, 
through  one  noble  action,  will  for  ever  be  honoured 
among  women.  On  a  dark  night  in  September  1838  the 
Forfarsliire,  a  Hull  steamer,  struck  on  a  hidden  reef  called 
the  Harcars,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  lighthouse.  She  had 
on  board  sixty-three  persons,  including  passengers  and 
crew.  Their  signals  of  distress  were  observed  from  the 

*  Longfellow. 


WORDSWORTH'S  EPITAPH.  281 

lighthouse.  It  was  impossible  for  Darling,  the  keeper,  to 
pull  off  in  his  boat  alone  ;  no  single  arm  could  have 
impelled  it  through  the  raging  sea  that  then  prevailed. 
With  admirable  courage,  Grace  Darling  resolved  to  assist 
him  on  his  noble  errand.  She  sprang  into  the  skiff,  and 
over  the  bounding  billows  father  and  daughter  gallantly 
made  their  way.  Their  lives  hung  upon  a  thread;  but 
the  weak  girl  never  bated  a  jot  of  heart  or  hope,  and 
rowed  with  all  the  vigour  which  a  noble  enthusiasm  is 
apt  to  inspire.  They  reached  the  ship,  and  took  off  nine 
persons,  with  whom  they  contrived  to  'regain  the  light- 
house. Nine  more  escaped  in  one  of  the  steamer's  boats  : 
all  the  rest  perished. 

Grace  Darling  did  not  live  many  years  after  the  event 
which  made  her  famous.  She  was  interred  in  the  old 
chapel  on  Holy  Island,  and  an  epitaph  to  her  memory 
composed  by  the  poet  Wordsworth  : — 

"  The  maiden  gentle,  yet  at  duty's  call 
Firm  and  unflinching,  as  the  lighthouse  reared 
On  the  island-rock,  her  lonely  dwelling-place  ; 
Or  like  the  invisible  rock  itself,  that  braves, 
Age  after  age,  the  hostile  elements, 
As  when  it  guarded  holy  Cuthbert's  cell. " 

Smeaton  speaks  of  a  shoemaker  who  entered  the  Eddy- 
stone  Lighthouse  because  he  longed  for  a  solitary  life  :  he 
found  himself  less  a  prisoner  on  his  wave-beaten  rock  than 
in  his  close  and  confined  workshop.  When  some  of  his 
friends  expressed  their  astonishment  at  his  choice — "  Each 
to  his  taste,"  said  he  ;  "I  have  always  been  partial  to 
independence/' 

Perhaps  it  was  the  same  individual  who,  after  having 
served  at  the  Eddystone  upwards  of  fourteen  years,  con- 
ceived so  strong  an  attachment  to  his  prison  that  for 


282  A  LIGHTHOUSE  STORY. 

two  consecutive  years  he  gave  up  his  turn  of  relief.  He 
would  fain  have  continued  the  same  course  of  life  for  a 
third  year,  but  so  much  pressure  was  brought  to  bear 
upon  him  that  he  consented  to  avail  himself  of  the  usual 
privilege.  All  the  years  he  had  spent  in  the  lighthouse 
he  had  been  distinguished  for  his  quiet  and  orderly  beha- 
viour ;  on  land  he  found  himself  "  out  of  his  element," 
and  drank  until  he  was  completely  intoxicated.  In  this 
condition  he  was  carried  back  to  the  Eddystone,  where, 
after  languishing  for  a  few  days,  he  expired. 

Some  men  have  gone  mad,  or  nearly  so,  by  dint  of  con- 
templating the  same  scenes  and  the  same  external  impres- 
sions. About  a  mile  and  a  quarter  from  the  Land's  End, 
on  a  group  of  granite  islets  washed  by  the  sea,  stands  the 
Longsliips  Lighthouse,  constructed  in  1793.  The  particu- 
lar rock  on  which  it  is  built — the  Carn-Bras — rises  about 
forty-five  feet  above  the  level  of  low  water.  In  winter 
both  the  rock  and  the  building — as  is  the  case  at  the 
Eddystone — will  sometimes  be  covered  for  a  few  seconds 
by  the  leaping  waters,  which  have  even  been  known  to 
surmount  the  lantern,  and,  on  one  occasion  at  least,  to 
break  through  its  crystal  walls  and  extinguish  the  lamps. 

One  day,  in  1862,  two  black  flags  floated  from  the 
summit  of  the  tower.  They  were  evidently  intended  as  a 
signal  of  distress.  What,  then,  had  happened  ? 

Of  the  three  men  who  inhabited  the  lighthouse,  the  one 
whose  turn  it  was  to  keep  watch  had  thrust  a  knife  into 
his  breast.  His  companions  attempted  to  stanch  the 
blood  by  plugging  up  the  wound  with  bits  of  tow.  Three 
days  passed  by  before  the  people  on  shore  could  reach  the 
lighthouse ;  and  the  sea  was  then  so  rude  and  discmbarka- 


EDDYSTONE   LIGHTHOUSE  IN  A  STORM. 


THE  FRENCH  LIGHTHOUSES.  285 

tion  so  dangerous  that  the  wounded  man  had  to  be  lowered 
into  the  boat,  suspended  from  a  kind  of  impromptu 
crane.  When  he  was  conveyed  ashore  he  received  every 
attention  which  his  condition  demanded  ;  but  he  lived 
only  a  few  days.  The  jury,  acting  upon  the  evidence  of 
his  companions,  declared  that  he  had  committed  suicide 
under  an  attack  of  temporary  insanity.  Perhaps  it  is  not 
astonishing  that  persons  of  a  susceptible  or  excitable  tem- 
perament should,  under  the  influence  of  ever-murmuring 
seas  and  ever-blowing  winds,  and  while  living  in  a  state 
of  almost  continual  solitude  and  comparative  montony,  feel 
the  vertigo  of  the  abyss  ascend  to  their  brain,  so  that  the 
control  of  reason  is  loosened,  and  the  mind  yields  to  the 
first  impulse  which  passes  over  it. 

Let  us  now  take  a  glance  at  lighthouse  life  from  a 
French  point  of  view. 

Sagacious  regulations  and  constant  inspection  have 
banished  the  dramatic  and  the  surprising  from  the  French 
as  well  as  from  the  English  lighthouse.  Everything  has 
been  reduced  to  a  system,  and  the  keepers  are  under  a 
discipline  scarcely  less  rigid  than  that  of  soldiers.  In 
France,  indeed,  veteran  soldiers  or  tried  seamen  are  gene- 
rally selected  to  fill  up  any  vacancies  that  may  occur  in 
the  lighthouse  administration.  This  is  divided  into  two 
classes  :  the  inspectors,  who  receive  a  thousand  francs 
yearly  (about  £40),  and  are  intrusted  with  the  superin- 
tendence of  several  lighthouses ;  and  the  keepers,  who  are 
divided  into  six  classes,  and  whose  annual  wages  vary 
from  475  to  850  francs  (say  £18  to  £34).  Extra  payment 
is  awarded  to  those  who  serve  in  the  sea  lighthouses. 


286  A  CONSTANT  DUTY. 

Their  number  is  never  less  than  three  in  a  lighthouse  of 
the  first  class,  or  two  in  those  of  the  second  and  third 
class  lighthouses. 

The  "  code/'  so  to  speak,  from  which  we  borrow  these 
details  is  nearly  the  same  among  all  maritime  nations. 
It  indicates  to  the  keepers  their  duties,  and  prescribes  to 
them  the  nature  of  their  daily  work.  As  for  their  mode  of 
life,  it  is  much  the  same  everywhere,  only  more  or  lens 
agreeable  according  to  the  stations.  In  France  the  light- 
houses served  by  a  single  keeper  are  intrusted  to  married 
men,  who  live  in  the  establishment  with  their  family. 
Not  only  does  such  an  arrangement  ameliorate  their  lot, 
but  it  also  gives  the  assurance  that  in  case  of  need  they 
will  immediately  be  replaced  in  attendance  on  the  lamp — 
a  task  so  easy  that  it  can  be  discharged  by  a  woman  or 
even  by  a  child.  The  habitation  allotted  to  them  consists 
of  one  or  two  apartments,  with  a  chimney,  an  outhouse, 
and  sometimes  a  cellar.  A  green  and  a  small  garden  are 
invariably  attached.  In  some  lighthouses  the  keeper's 
house  is  so  placed  with  reference  to  the  tower  that  the 
lamp  is  visible  from  one  of  the  windows  ;  but  in  most  the 
house  is  annexed  to  the  tower,  in  such  a  manner  that  if 
the  keeper  is  compelled  to  rise  and  attend  to  the  lamp, 
at  least  he  is  not  exposed,  immediately  after  leaving  his 
couch,  to  the  rigour,  it  may  be,  of  a  winter  night. 

In  lenticular  lights  of  the  first,  second,  and  third  class, 
whose  flame  requires  surveillance  throughout  the  night, 
several  keepers  are  needed,  who  take  their  watch  in  turn. 
Formerly  the  keepers  and  their  families  lodged  together. 


PROVIDING  FOR  A  FAMILY.  287 

But,  unfortunately,  those  dissensions  which  seem  inevitable 
when  a  colony  is  numerous,  and  not  amenable  to  a  strict 
discipline,  were  found  to  break  out  at  very  short  intervals, 
and  in  an  exceedingly  disagreeable  manner.  The  autho- 
rities, therefore,  resolved  only  to  admit  their  own  servants 
into  the  interior  of  the  lighthouses,  leaving  to  them,  if 
married,  the  care  of  securing  suitable  lodgings  for  their 
wives  and  children.  To  each  keeper  a  room  was  allotted, 
and  the  kitchen  was  common  to  all. 

The  result  they  had  in  view  was  thus  obtained.  But 
it  was  soon  perceived  that  to  separate  the  keepers  from 
their  families  was  to  impose  a  heavy  tax  upon  men  whose 
pay  was  not  too  liberal ;  that  to  deprive  them  of  the  sweet 
domestic  joys  which  are  the  legitimate  reward  of  the  cares 
and  anxieties  of  paternity,  was  to  increase  the  gloominess 
of  their  isolation,  by  rendering  it  more  complete;  and, 
finally,  to  expose  them  to  the  strong  temptation  of  absent- 
ing themselves  from  the  lighthouse  at  the  hours  their 
presence  was  most  necessary.  These  inconveniences  have 
been  remedied  by  allotting  to  each  keeper  a  separate  house 
for  himself  and  his  family. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  that  a  keeper's  family  should 
be  accommodated  in  a  sea  lighthouse,  which  consists  of  a 
single  tower.  They  are,  therefore,  lodged  on  shore,  near 
the  port  which  keeps  up  the  communication  between  the 
lighthouse  and  the  mainland.  In  such  a  station  life  to  many 
minds  would  be  wearisome  and  monotonous.  The  wind 
sometimes  blows  with  so  much  violence  that  the  keepers 
can  with  difficulty  breathe.  They  are  then  compelled  to* 
shut  themselves  up,  as  closely  as  possible,  in  a  tower 
darkened  by  the  wreathing  fog,  or  by  the  foam  of  swelling 

1262)  19 


288  A   USEFUL  LIFE. 

waves,  which  envelopes  it  like  a  rent  veil.  On  fine  sum- 
mer days,  like  the  English  light-keepers,  they  amuse  them- 
selves with  fishing.  If  their  abode  is  not  encircled  hy 
rocks  on  which  they  can  stretch  their  lines,  they  knot 
around  the  lighthouse  tower,  at  a  certain  height,  and  im- 
mediately above  the  entrance,  a  stout  rope,  suspending 
some  forty  or  fifty  lines,  each  about  four  feet  long.  When 
the  sea  rises,  the  fish  crawl  along  the  wall,  and  snapping 
at  the  bait,  are  immediately  hooked.  The  tide  goes  down, 
and  lo,  the  tower  is  wreathed  round  with  a  complete 
festoon  of  fish ! 

Thus,  then,  the  life  of  a  lighthouse-keeper  varies  little, 
whether  his  post  be  situated  on  the  English  or  the  French 
shore,  on  a  rock  washed  by  English  or  by  French  waters, 
in  the  Mediterranean  or  the  North  Atlantic.  It  is  a  life 
not  free  from  heavy  shadows;  but  it  is  one  eminently 
calculated  to  develop  the  patient  and  enduring  qualities 
of  a  man,  and  to  cultivate  in  him  a  habit  of  self- reflection. 
I  do  not  think  it  should  be  stigmatized  as  dismal,  though 
it  is  the  fashion  so  to  speak  of  it ;  but  surely  no  life  can 
be  dismal  which  is  spent  in  the  service  of  humanity,  in 
steadfast  devotion  to  the  interests  of  others ;  no  life  can  be 
dismal  which  passes  in  constant  contemplation  of  all  the 
glories  of  the  sky  and  all  the  splendours  of  the  sea — 
in  constant  contemplation  of  the  mightiest  and  sublimest 
of  G-od's  works  under  their  grandest  and  most  solemn 
aspects ! 


APPENDIX, 


A  LIST   OF  LIGHTS   ON  THE    BKITISH  AND   IRISH 
COASTS.* 

[Lightships  are  indicated  by  the  mark  (!),  pile  lighthouses  by  (§).] 


ENGLAND. 

SOUTH   COAST. 

1.  Bishop  Eock,  Scilly  Isles,  lat.  49°  52';  a  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  147  feet 

high  ;  t  erected  1858. 

2.  St.  Agnes,  Scilly  Isles,  lat.  49°  53' ;  revolving  light  every  minute,  visible 

16  miles ;  74  feet  high  ;  erected  1680. 

3.  {  Scour  Stones,  lightship,  lat.  50°  3';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  and  6  miles ; 

fixed  1841. 

4.  Longships,  off  Land's  End,  lat.  50°  3'  48";  one  fixed  light,  visible  14  miles; 

51  feet  high ;  erected  1795. 

5.  Penzance,  South  Pier,  lat.  50°  7';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles ;  22  feet 

high ;  erected  1817. 

G.  Wolf  Crag,  lat.  49"  56';  one  light,  revolving  30  seconds ;  100  feet  high  ; 
erected  1870. 

7.  Lizard,  lat.  49°  57';  fixed  light,  visible  21  miles;  61  feet  high;  erected  1751. 

8.  Falmouth,  St.  Anthony  Point,  lat.  50°  8' ;  arevolving  light  every  20  seconds, 

and  fixed  light,  visible  13  miles  ;  62  feet  high  ;  erected  1835. 

9.  Falmouth,  Prince  of  Wales'  Breakwater  ;  fixed  light ;  erected  1860. 

10.  Eddystone,  lat.  50°  10'  49";  one  fixed  light,  visible  13  miles;  89  feet  high; 

erected  1703. 

11.  Plymouth,  west  end  of  Breakwater ;  lat.  50°  20';  two  fixed  lights  (one 

red),  visible  9  miles  ;  76  feet  high  ;  erected  1844. 

12.  Plymouth,  Mill  Bay,  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles. 

*  Compiled  from  the  Admiralty  List,  and  corrected  up  to  April  1870. 
t  The  height  is  given  in  English  feet,  from  the  base  to  the  vane  of  the 
building. 


290  APPENDIX. 

13.  Plymouth,  West  Barbican  Pier-head,  lat.  50°  22^  one  fixed  light  (gas), 

visible  6  miles  ;  20  feet  high  ;  erected  1822. 

14.  Start  Point,  lat.  50°  13';  two  lights,  revolving  every  minute,  visible  20  miles; 

92  feet  high  ;  erected  1836. 

15.  Dartmouth,  Kingswear,  lat.  50°  20';  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles ; 

36  feet  high  ;  erected  1864. 

16.  Dartmouth ;  a  flagstaff,  carrying  one  fixed  light. 

17.  Dartmouth,  south  part  of  town  ;  one  white  light. 

18.  Brixham,  pier-head;  lat.  50°  24;  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles;  erected  1839. 

19.  Torquay,  pier-head  ;  lat.  50°  27';  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles;  erected  1852. 

20.  Teignmouth,   south-west  end  of  Dam  ;  lat.  50°  32' ;   two  fixed  lights, 

visible  6  miles  ;  37  feet  high  ;  erected  1845. 

21.  Lyme  Regis,  pier-head  and  Custom  House,  lat.  50°  43' ;  a  bright  and  a 

red  fixed  light,  each  visible  4  miles  ;  erected  1853. 

22.  Portland,   near  the  BUI,  lat.  50°  31' ;   two  fixed  lights,  visible  21  and 

18  miles  ;  50  and  85  feet  high ;  erected  1789  and  1867. 

23.  Portland,  breakwater,  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles  ;  erected  1851. 

24.  t  Portland,  Shambles  Shoal  Lightship ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles  ; 

fixed  1859. 

25.  Weymouth,  North  Pier;  two  fixed  green  and  two  fixed  red  lights;  erected 

1867. 

26.  Casquets,  lat.  49°  43'  17";  three  lights,  revolving  every  20  seconds,  and 

visible  for  15  miles ;  one  light  45  feet  and  the  others  68  feet  high ; 
erected  1723. 

27.  Alderney  Island,  lat.  49°  43';  two  fixed  red  lights  (gas),  visible  5  to  9  miles  ; 

55  and  25  feet  high  ;  erected  1859. 

28.  Guernsey,  St.  Peter  Port  Old  Harbour;   one  fixed  light  (gas],  visible 

3  miles  ;  24  feet  high  ;  erected  1832. 

29.  Guernsey,  St.  Peter  Port  New  Harbour,  lat.  49°  27';  one  fixed  light  (gas], 

visible  9  miles  ;  40  feet  high  ;  erected  1867. 

30.  Guernsey,  Rock  of  Stanois,  lat.  49°  26';  one  red  light,  revolving  every 

45  seconds  ;  117  feet  high  ;  erected  1862. 

31.  Jersey,  Vernclut  Breakwater,  lat.  49°  13';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  to 

12  miles  ;  30  feet  high  ;  erected  1857. 

32.  Jersey,  Gouray  Pier-head,  one  fixed  light,  gas. 

33.  Jersey,    Victoria  Pier,  St.  Helier,  lat.  49°  10' ;  one  fixed  light,  visible 

6  miles  ;  erected  1858. 

34.  Jersey,  Albert  Pier,  St.  Helier ;  one  fixed  light  (gas],  visible  3  miles ; 

erected  1839. 

35.  Jersey,  Albert  Pier,  St.  Helier  ;  two  fixed  lights,  gas;  erected  1837. 

36.  Jersey,  Upper  Pier  Road,  St.  Helier,  one  fixed  red  light  (gas),  visible 

3  miles  ;  erected  1859. 

37.  Corbiere  Eocks,  lat.  49°  10'40".     New  lighthouse  building. 

38.  JMinquiers  Lightship,  lat.  48°  53'  38";   two  fixed  lights,  visible  8  or 

10  miles  ;  fixed  1865. 

39.  Poole,  north  side  of  harbour,  lat.  50°  4l';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  6  miles  ; 

erected  1848. 

40.  Poole,  North  Haven  Point ;  one  fixed  light. 

41.  Isle  Of  Wight,  Needle  Rock,  lat.  50°  39'  42" ;  one  fixed  light,  visible 

14  miles  ;  109  feet  high;  erected  1859. 

42.  Hampshire,  Hurst  Point,  lat.  50°  42'  26":  two  fixed  lights,  visible  13  and 

10  miles ;  one,  85  feet  high,  erected  1812  ;  the  other,  52  feet  high, 
erected  1733. 


APPENDIX.  •  291 

43.  Isle  Of  Wight,  Yarmouth ;  two  fixed  lights,  green  and  white,  erected 

1857 

44.  t  Isle  of  Wight,  Calshot  Lightship  ;  one  light,  revolving  every  minute, 

visible  9  miles  ;  fixed  1842. 

45.  Hampshire,  Southampton,  Royal.Pier ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1841. 
40.  Isle  of  Wight,  Ryde  Pier  ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  or  7  miles  ;  erected 

1852. 

47.  Hampshire,  Stokes  Bay  Pier ;  two  fixed  lights ;  erected  1865. 

48.  Hampshire,  Southsea  Castle,  lat.  50°  47';  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles  ; 

erected  1822. 

49.  Hampshire,  Spit  Sand  Fort ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1866. 

50.  Hampshire,  Horse  Sand  Fort ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1866  (tempo- 

rary). 

51.  Hampshire,  Neman's  Land  Fort ;  one  fixed  red  light ;  erected  1866. 

52.  Isle  Of  Wight,  Brading  Haven  Fort;  one  fixed  green  light;  erected 

1866. 

53.  Portsmouth,  Clarence  Pier ;  three  lights,  gas;  erected  1865. 

54.  Portsmouth,  Victoria  Pier  ;  two  lights,  gas;  erected  18(55. 

55.  Portsmouth,  Camber  ;  one  fixed  light. 

50.  Portsmouth,  King's  Stairs  ;  one  fixed  red  light ;  erected  1865. 

57.  Portsmouth,  Clarence  Victualling  Yard,  pier;  one  red  light,  gas;  erected 

1865. 

58.  Gosport,  one  fixed  red  light ;  erected  1865. 

59.  t  Warner  Lightship,  lat.  50°  43';  revolving  every  minute,  visible  8  miles  ; 

fixed  1854. 

60.  Temporary,  to  indicate  a  wreck,  lj  miles  S.E.  of  the  "Warner. 

61.  t  Nab  Lightship,  lat.  50°  42'  15";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  8  and  6  miles ; 

fixed  1812. 

62.  Isle  of  Wight,  St.  Catherine's  Point,  lat.  50°  34'  30";  one  fixed  light, 

visible  19  miles  ;  122  feet  high  ;  erected  1840. 

63.  tOwers  Lightship,  lat.  50°  38'  50";   one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles; 

fixed  1788. 

64.  Littlehampton,  north  end  of  pier,  lat.  50°  48';  one  fixed  light  (gas),  visible 

7  miles  ;  40  feet  high  ;  erected  1848. 

65.  Littlehampton,  Outer  East  Pier ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1868. 

66.  Worthing  Pier,  lat.  50°  48'  30";  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1862. 

67.  Shoreham  Harbour,  lat.  50°  50' ;  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles  ; 

38  and  5  feet  high  ;  erected  1825. 

68.  Brighton,  Chain  Pier,  lat.  50°  49';  one  fixed  green  light,  visible  10  miles  ; 

22  feet  high  ;  erected  1824. 

69.  Newhaven,  West  Pier,  lat.  50°  47';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles ; 

33  feet  high  ;  erected  1864 

70.  Newhaven,  East  Pier,  one  fixed  green  light ;  erected  1862. 

71.  Beachy  Head,  Belle  Tout  Cliff,  lat.  50°  44'  15";   revolving  light  every 

2  minutes,  visible  23  miles  ;  47  feet  high  ;  erected  1828. 

72.  Eastbourne,  lat.  50°  45';  a  single  lamp. 

73.  Hastings,  lat.  50°  52';  upper  light  on  west  hill,  visible  12  miles ;  lower,  on 

beach,  visible  5  miles  ;  both  gas. 

74.  Rye,  Camber,  lat.  50°  57';  two  fixed  lights,  gas. 

75.  Rye,  the  pier-head  ;  two  fixed  lights ;  erected  1860. 

76.  Rye,  the  Groin  ;  one  fixed  light,  gas;  erected  1864. 

77.  Dungeness  Point,  lat.  50°  54'  57";  one  fixed  light  (ekctric),  visible  15 

miles  ;  107  feet  high  ;  erected  1792. 


292  .  APPENDIX. 

78.  JVarne  Shoal  Lightship,  lat.  50°  56';  revolving  light  every  20  seconds, 

visible  10  miles  :  fixed  1860. 

79.  Folkestone,  South  Pier-head,  lat.  51°  4';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  6  miles  ; 

31  feet  high  ;  erected  1848. 

80.  Folkestone,  New  Pier ;  one  fixed  green  light,  visible  6  miles  ;  28  feet 

high ;  erected  1860. 

81.  Dover,  Admiralty  Pier  ;  one  fixed  blue  light  ;  erected  1849. 

82.  Dover,  South  Pier,  lat.  51°  7';  three  fixed  red  lights  I  gas),  visible  12  miles ; 

erected  1852. 

83.  Dover,  North  Pier  ;  one  fixed  red  light ;  erected  1842. 

84.  Dover,  near  Clock  Tower ;  one  fixed  green  light ;  erected  1852. 

85.  South.  Foreland,  lat.  51°  8'  23";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  26  and  23  miles  ; 

one  light,  69  feet  high,  the  other,  49  feet ;  erected  1793. 

86.  Deal,  Iron  Pier,  one  fixed  red  light;  erected*  1865. 

87.  t  Goodwin  Sand,  South  Sand  Head  Lightship,  lat.  51°  9' 35";  one  fixed 

light,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1832. 

88.  t  Goodwin  Sand,  Gall  Stream  Lightship,  lat.  51°  16';  revolving  light  every 

20  seconds,  visible  7  miles  ;  fixed  1809. 

89.  t  Goodwin  Sand,  North  Sand  Head  Lightship,  lat.  51°  19'  23";  three  fixed 

lights,  visible  10  miles ;  fixed  1793. 


SOUTH-EAST  COAST. 

90.  Ramsgate,  West  Pier-head,  lat.  51°  1$  42";  one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles; 

37  feet  high. 

91.  Ramsgate,  East  Pier-head  ;  one  light,  flashing  every  5  seconds,  and  dark 

5  seconds ;  erected  1 867. 

THAMES  RIVER  AND  MOUTH  ;  KENT  AND  ESSEX  BANKS — 

Nos.  92  to  115. 

[92.  North  Foreland,  lat.  51°  22'  28";  one  fixed  light,  visible  19  miles;  85  feet 
high ;  erected  1790. 

93.  Margate,  West  Pier,  lat.  51°  24';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles ;  stone 

column,  70  feet  high  ;  erected  1829. 

94.  t  East  Tongue  Sand  Lightship,  lat.  51°  29' ;   two  fixed  lights,  visible 

10  and  4  miles  ;  fixed  1848. 

95.  t  Princes  Channel  Lightship,  one  revolving  light  every  20  seconds, 

visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1836. 

96.  tWest  Goodwin  Sand  Lightship,  lat.  51*  29';  one  revolving  light  every 

30  seconds,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1848. 

97.  t  Nore  Lightship,  lat.  51°  29';  one  revolving  light  every  30  seconds,  visible 

10  miles ;  fixed  1732. 

98.  Sheerness,  left  demi-bastion,  lat.  51°  26'  48";   one  fixed  light,   gas; 

erected  1859. 

99.  Sea  Reach,  Southend  Pier-head  ;  one  red  light ;  erected  1840. 

100.  §Sea  Reach,  Chapman  Head ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles ;  74  feet 

high  ;  erected  1849. 

101.  §Sea  Reach,  Mucking  Flat ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles ;  71  feet 

high  ;  erected  1849. 

102.  Hope  Point,  fort ;  one  fixed  light,  for  colliers  only  ;  erected  1852. 

103.  Northfleet,  wharf ;  fixed  light  on  iron  frame  ;  erected  1859. 


APPENDIX. 


EAST  COAST. 

104.  I  Mouse  Lightship,  lat.  51°  32^  revolving  light  every  20  seconds,  visible 

10  miles  ;  fixed  1838. 

105.  §Maplin  Sands,  lat.  51°  35';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  69  feet  high; 

erected  1838. 

IOC.  t  Middle  Swin,  Lightship,  lat.  51°  39' ;   revolving  light  every  minute, 
visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1837. 

107.  §Gunfleet  Sand,  lat.  51°  45'  50";  one  revolving  light  every  30  seconds, 

visible  10  miles  ;  72  feet  high  ;  erected  1850. 

108.  tSunk  Lightship,  lat.  51°  49' 28";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed 

1802. 

109.  t  Kentish  Knock  Lightship,  lat.  51°  40'  50";  one  revolving  light  every 

minute,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1840. 

110.  t  Galloper  Lightship,  lat.  51°  45';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles; 

fixed  1803. 
Ilia.  §Harwich,  Dovercourt ;  two  fixed  lights,  visible  12  and  9  miles ;  45  and 

27  feet  high  ;  erected  1863. 
1116.  Harwich,  North  Jetty ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1869. 

112.  Harwich,  near  Landguard  Point,  lat.  51°  5tf  15";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

5  miles  ;  38  feet  high  ;  erected  1868. 

113.  t  Cork  Lightship,  lat.  51°  46';  one  revolving  light  every  30  seconds,  visible 

10  miles  ;  fixed  1844. 

114.  t  Shipwash  Lightship,  lat.  52°  l'  30";  one  fixed  red  light,  visible  10  miles; 

fixed  1837. 

115.  Orfordness,  lat.  52°  5';    two  fixed  lights,  visible  17  and  14  miles  ;  the 

high  lighthouse  79  feet,  the  low  lighthouse  72  feet ;  both  erected  1792. 
The  high  lighthouse  is  a  circular,  and  the  lower  a  sixteen-sided 
edifice.] 

116.  Kessingland,  cliff,  lat.  52°  24'  50";  one  fixed  light ;  68  feet  high  ;  erected 

1867. 

117.  Lowestoft,  Harbour  Pier ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1847. 

118.  Lowestoft,  cliff,  lat.  52°  29'  14";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  16  and  11  miles  ; 

the  cliff  lighthouse,  53  feet  high,  erected  1609 ;  the  low  lighthouse,  on 
the  Ness,  48  feet ;  erected  1866. 

119.  Corton  Gatway ;  two  fixed  lights,  one  52  feet,  the  other  18  feet  high  ; 

erected  1865. 

120.  t  Corton  Lightship,  lat.   52°  81'  15";  revolving  light  every  20  seconds, 

visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1862. 

121.  JHewett  Channel,  or  St.  Nicholas  Gate  Lightship;  two  fixed  lights, 

visible  10  and  4  miles  ;  fixed  1837. 

122.  Yarmouth,  South   Pier,   lat.   52°  34'  25";   one   fixed    light;   erected 

1852. 

123.  t  Cocker  Lightship,  lat.  52°  4l';  revolving  light  every  minute,  visible 

10  miles  ;  fixed  1844. 

124.  Winterton,  lat.  52°  43';  one  fixed  light,  visible  14  miles;  69  feet  high ; 

erected  1790.     [The  old  lighthouse  is  mentioned  in  ' '  Eobinson  Crusoe. "] 

125.  tNewarp  Lightship,  lat.  52°  45';  three  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles; 

fixed  1791. 

126.  Hasborough,  lat.  52°  49' ;  two  fixed  lights,  visible  17  and  15  miles : 

95  feet  high  ;  erected  1791. 


294  APPENDIX. 

127.  t  Hasborough  Lightship,  lat.  52°  58';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles  ; 

fixed  1832. 

128.  t  Leman  and  Ower  Lightship,  lat.  53°  8  45";  two  lights,  one  revolving 

every  minute  and  one  fixed,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1840. 

129.  Cromer,  cliff,  lat.  52°  5$;  one  revolving  light,  visible  23  miles;  59  feet 

high ;  erected  1719. 

130.  Hunstanton  Point,  lat.  52°  56'  54";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles  ; 

63  feet  high  ;  erected  1665. 

131.  t  Lynn  Well  Lightship,  lat.  53°  1'  25";  one  revolving  light,  every  20  seconds, 

visible  10  miles ;  fixed  1828. 

132.  Lynn ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1868. 

133.  Boston,  Hob  Hole  ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1868. 

134.  J  Dudgeon  Lightship,  lat.  53°  15';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed 

1736. 

135.  t  Outer  Dowsing  Lightship,  lat.  53°  28'  15";  one  revolving  light  every 

20  seconds,  visible  10  miles  ;  fixed  1861. 

HTJMBEB  EIVEB — Nos.  136  to  150. 

[136.  t  Spurn  Lightship,  lat.  53°  34';  one  light  revolving  every  minute,  visible 
10  miles  ;  fixed  1820. 

137.  Spurn  Point,  lat.  53°  34'  44";  two  lighthouses,  with  fixed  lights ;  one, 

visible  15  miles,  112  feet  high  ;  the  other,  visible  12  miles,  76  feet  high; 
erected  1776. 

138.  t  Bull  Sand  Lightship,  lat.  53°  34';  one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles ;  fixed 

1851. 

139.  Grimsby,  pier-head ;  two  fixed  red  lights. 

140.  Stallingborough,  ferry,  lat.  53°  37';  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1849. 

141.  Killingholm,  lat.  53°  39;  three  fixed  lights,  visible  11  miles  ;  high  light- 

house, 77  feet  high,  erected  1831 ;  north  tower,  45  feet  high,  erected 
1836  J  south-east  tower,  45  feet  high,  erected  1852. 

142.  Paull,  lat.  53°  43';  one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles  ;  30  feet  high  ;  erected 

1836. 

143.  tHebbles  Lightship,  lat.  53°  44';  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles ;  fixed 

1839. 

144.  Chaldersness ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1863. 

145.  Winteringham ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1862. 

146.  Brough  ;  two  fixed  lights. 

147.  I  Whitton  Lightship ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  fixed  1865. 

148.  Whitton,  New  Pier  ;  two  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1862. 

149.  Walker ;  one  fixed  blue  light ;  erected  1863. 

150.  Faxfleetness ;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1863.] 

151.  Bridlington,  North  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  5'  12";  one  fixed  light ;  erected 

1852. 

152.  Flamborough  Head,  lat.  54°  7' ;  revolving  light  every  two  minutes, 

visible  21  miles  ;  87  feet  high  ;  erected  1806. 

153.  Scarborough,  Vincent  Pier,  lat.  54°  17';  one  fixed  light,  visible  13 miles; 

56  feet  high  ;  erected  1806. 

154.  Whitby,  West  Pier-head,  lat.  54° 30';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles; 

60  feet  high  ;  erected  1831. 

155.  Whitby,  East  Pier-head  ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles  ;  erected  1855. 

156.  High  Whitby,  lat.  54°  28'  40";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  23  miles  ;  south 

lighthouse,  66  feet  high ;  north  tower,  46  feet  high. 


APPENDIX.  295 

RIVER  TEES— Nos.  157  to  160. 

[157.  Brand  Sand,  lat.  54°  38';  two  lighthouses,  60  and  45  feet  high  ;  erected 
1839.     Not  used. 

158.  Fifth  Buoy,  lat.  54°  37'  36";  one  fixed  light  on  piles ;  erected  1866. 

159.  Seal  Sand,  one  fixed  red  light. 

160.  Seaton,  lat.  54°  50';  high  lighthouse,  i  mile  inland,  70  feet  high,  erected 

1839 ;  low  lighthouse,  on  shore,  fixed  lights,  visible  13  miles.] 

161.  Hartlepool,  North  Pier-head  ;  one  fixed  green  light ;  erected  1855. 

162.  Hartlepool,  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  5l' ;   one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles  ; 

erected  1836. 

163.  Hartlepool,  Heugh,   lat.   54°  41'  51" ;   two  fixed  lights,  visible  15  and 

4  miles  ;  73  feet  high  ;  erected  1847. 

164.  Seaham,  South  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  50';  one  fixed  light,  visible  4  miles ; 

erected  1846. 

165.  Seaham,  Red  Acre  Point ;  two  lights — high  one  fixed,  visible  14  miles  ; 

low  one,  revolving  every  30  seconds,  visible  11  miles  ;  58  feet  high ; 
erected  1857. 

166.  Sunderland,  North  and  South  Pier-heads,  lat.  54°  55';  three  fixed  lights, 

visible  13,  10,  and  6  miles  ;  north  tower,  64  feet ;  south  tower,  23  feet ; 

erected  1802. 
167a.  Souter  Point,  lat.  54°  58' 10";  one  fixed  and  flashing  light  (electric)  every 

minute  ;  75  feet  high  ;  erected  1870. 
167&.  Tynemouth,  Castle  Yard,  lat.  52°  l' ;  revolving  light  every  minute, 

visible  18  miles ;  79  feet  high  ;  erected  1802.     To  be  discontinued  when 

Souter  Point  Lighthouse  is  completed. 

168.  Tynemouth,  North  Pier  Works  ;  three  fixed  lights  ;  erected  1864. 

169.  Tynemouth,  North  Pier ;  erected  1865.     To  be  moved  out  as  the  works 

advance. 

170.  Tyne,  or  North  Shields,  lat.  55°  0'  30";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  16  and 

13  miles  ;  49  and  76  feet  high  ;  erected  1808. 

171.  Blyth,  lat.  55°  7';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  11  and  7  miles ;  41  and  35  feet 

high  ;  erected  1788. 

172.  Coquet  Island,  lat.  55°  20';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  14  miles;  square 

white  tower,  72  feet  high  ;  erected  1841. 

173.  Warkworth,  South  Pier,  lat.  55°  2l';  one  fixed  red  light ;  erected  1848. 

174.  Fame   Island,  lat.  55°  37'.      High  lighthouse  —  revolving  light  every 

30  seconds,  visible  15  miles  ;  white  tower,  43  feet  high  ;  erected  1766. 
Low  lighthouse — fixed  light,  visible  12  miles ;  27  feet  high  (octagonal 
tower) ;  erected  1810. 

175.  Longstone  Rock,  lat.  55°  39' ;  one  light,  revolving  every  30  seconds, 

visible  14  miles  ;  85  feet  high  ;  erected  1826. 

176.  Berwick  Pier-head,  lat,  55°  46';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  12  and  8  miles  ; 

44  feet  high. 


SCOTLAND. 
EAST    COAST. 

177.  Eyemouth,lat.  55°  52';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  and  8  miles;  erected!857. 

178.  St.  Abb's  Head,  lat.  55°  55' ;  flashing  light,  every  10  seconds,  visible 

20  miles  ;  29  feet  high  ;  erected  1862. 


296  APPENDIX. 

179.  I)unbar,  Old  Harbour,  lat.  56°;  one  fixed  light  (gas),  visible  5  miles ; 

27  feet  high;  erected  1857. 

180.  Dunbar,  Victoria  Harbour;  one  fixed  light,  gas. 

FIRTH  OF  FORTH — Nos.  181  to  207. 
[181.  Cockenzie,  pier-head;  one  fixed  green  light,  visible  8  miles. 

182.  Fisherrow,  pier-head,  lat.  55°  56';  fixed  light;  erected  1839. 

183.  Leith,  East  Pier,  inner  part,  lat.  55°  59';  one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles; 

19  feet  high;  erected  1758. 

184.  Leith,  East  Pier-head;  one  fixed  green  light;  visible  8  miles. 

185.  Leith,  West  Pier;  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  19  feet  high;  erected 

1829. 

186.  Newhaven,  pier-head,  lat.  55°  59';    one  fixed  light,   visible  5  miles  ; 

29  feet  high. 

187.  Granton,  pier-head;  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles;  40  feet  high;  erected 

1845. 

188.  Granton,  breakwater;  two  fixed  red  lights;  12  feet  high. 

189.  Inchkeith  Island,  lat.  56°  2';  one  light,  revolving  every  minute,  visible 

20  miles;  stone  lighthouse,  58  feet  high;  erected  1804. 

190.  Grangemouth ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles ;  stone  tower,  30  feet 

high ;  erected  1847. 

191.  Charleston,  outer  pier;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1866. 

192.  Inverkeithing,  West  Quay,  two  fixed  red  lights;  erected  1856. 

193.  St.  David;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1866. 

194.  Burntisland,  East  Pier-head,  lat.  56°  4';  one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles; 

25  feet  high;  erected  1860. 

195.  Burntisland,  Ferry  Pier;  one  fixed  light;  9  feet  high. 

196.  Burntisland,  New  Pier;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1867. 

197.  Petty  cur,  pier;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1854. 

198.  Kirkcaldy,  East  Pier-head,  lat.  56°  7';  one  fixed  light  (gas],   visible 

8  miles. 

199.  Dysart  ;  one  fixed  green  light,  gas. 

200.  West  Wemyss,  pier-head;  one  fixed  red  light. 

201.  Buckhaven,  East  Pier-head,  lat.  56°  10' 6";  one  fixed  light;  iron  tower, 

9  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

202.  St.  Monans,  lat.  56°  127  30";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  6  miles. 

203.  Pittenweem,  East  Pier-head,  lat.  56°  13';  one  fixed  light,  visible  6 miles; 

erected  1853. 

204.  Pittenweem,  saw-mill,  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles;  erected  1853. 

205.  East  Anstruther,  West  Pier-head,  lat.  56°  13'  16";  two  fixed  lights  (gas), 

visible  4  miles;  erected  1848. 

206.  Cellardyke,  lat.  56°  14';  one  fixed  red  light,  gas. 

207.  Isle  of  May,  lat.  56°  ll'  9".    Lighthouse  on  summit  of  island — one  fixed 

light,  visible  21  miles ;  78  feet  high  ;  erected  1816.  Lighthouse  on 
north-east  side — one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles;  36  feet  high;  erected 
1844.] 

208.  Bell  Rock,  lat.  56°  26  3';  one  light,  revolving  every  two  minutes,  visible 

15  miles;  117  feet  high;  erected  1811. 

209.  St.  Andrews,   pier-head,   lat.  56°  20'  3";  one  fixed  red  light,  visible 

6  miles;  18  feet  high;  erected  1825. 

210.  St.  Andrews,  Cathedral  turret;  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles;  erected 

1849. 


A  PPEND1X  297 


FIRTH  OF  TAY— Nos.  211  to  215. 

[211.  Buddonness,  lat.  56°  28';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  15  and  12  miles; 
one  on  tower,  104  feet  high,  erected  1820;  the  lower  one,  65  feet 
high. 

212.  Port-on-Craig,  lat.  56°  27';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  12  and  10  miles;  one 

on  tower,  76  feet  high;  one  on  piles,  53  feet  high;  erected  1820  and 
1845. 

213.  Newport,  West  Ferry  Pier,  lat.  56°  26';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  8  and 

7  miles. 

214.  Dundee  Harbour,  Middle  and  East  Piers,  lat.  56°  2S7;  two  fixed  lights, 

visible  8  and  7  miles. 

215.  Dundee,  Camperdown  Docks;  two  fixed  red  lights,  gas ;  erected  1865.] 

216.  Arbroath,  Outer  Harbour,  lat.  56°  33';  one  fixed  lighj,  visible  8  miles  ; 

stone  tower,  22  feet  high;  erected  1826. 

217.  Arbroath,  Inner  Harbour;  two  fixed  lights. 

218.  Ness,  Scurdyness,  lat.  56°  42';  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1870.* 

219.  Montrose,   north  side  of   harbour  ;    two  fixed  lights,  visible  11  and 

10  miles;  65  and  39  feet  high  ;  erected  1818. 

220.  Stonehaven,  harbour,  lat.  56°  58';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  8  miles; 

erected  1839. 

*  We  condense  the  following  report  from  the  Dundee  Advertiser,  March  1, 
1870  :— 

"On  Tuesday  night  the  Scurdyness  Lighthouse,  at  the  entrance  to  Montrose 
Harbour,  was  lit  up  for  the  first  time,  amid  the  rejoicings  of  the  people  of 
Montrose  and  Ferryden.  From  early  morning  the  vessels  in  the  harbour  dis- 
played numerous  flags,  and  more  than  the  usual  stir  was  observable  among 
the  villagers  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  Indeed,  seldom  have  the  Ferry- 
den  people  manifested  so  much  enthusiasm  ;  but  it  is  seldom  that  they  have 
so  much  cause  to  rejoice.  The  want  of  a  light  at  the  Scurdyness  has  long 
been  felt  by  the  seafaring  community.  The  rock-bound  shore  stretching 
between  the  Bell  Rock  and  the  Girdleness — a  distance  of  nearly  fifty  miles — 
is  perhaps  one  of  the  most  dangerous  parts  of  the  east  coast  of  Scotland,  and 
has  been  the  scene  of  numerous  shipwrecks  and  great  loss  of  life.  At  no  point 
within  these  limits  have  so  many  disasters  occurred  as  at  the  entrance  to 
Montrose  Harbour,  now  fortunately  protected  by  the  Scurdyness  Light. 
Bounded  on  the  one  side  by  large  outlying  and  in  some  instances  hidden 
rocks,  and  on  the  other  by  a  long  stretch  of  sandy  shore,  whilst  the  channel 
itself  is  extremely  narrow,  the  entrance  to  Montrose  Harbour  is  very  difficult 
for  navigation,  and  particularly  so  when  the  weather  is  boisterous.  Moreover, 
on  the  north  side,  and  within  a  very  short  distance  of  the  newly-erected  light- 
house, is  the  Annat — a  sandbank  on  which  many  vessels  have  been  wrecked 
in  attempting  to  make  the  harbour.  The  necessity,  therefore,  for  a  light  on 
Scurdyness  was  very  great,  and  has  been  long  and  deeply  felt.  Situated  at 
the  Point,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  channel,  the  lighthouse,  a  substantial 
building,  commands  a  clear-weather  range  of  seventeen  nautical  miles.  It  is 
built  on  solid  rock,  the  foundation  being  of  stones  from  Benholm  Quarry,  and 
the  tower  itself  of  white  brick.  The  entire  height  of  the  tower  is  about  100  feet 
and  the  lighthouse  about  30  feet — in  all,  130  feet  from  base  to  vane.  The 
diameter  at  the  base  is  23  feet  2  inches,  whilst  at  the  top  it  is  16  feet.  A  spiral 
stair  of  about  140  steps  leads  to  the  top  of  the  tower,  after  which  the  ascent 


£98 


APPENDIX. 


221.  Girdleness,  lat.  57°  8'  15";  two  lights,  risible  19 

and  16  miles ;  stone  lighthouse,  120  feet  high  ; 
erected  1833. 

222.  Aberdeen,  North  Pier-head,  lat.  57°  tf  20" ;  one 

fixed  light,  visible  8  miles;  white  tower,  29  feet 
high  ;  erected  1866. 

223.  Aberdeen,  ferry;  two  fixed  lights,  8  miles;  erected 

1842. 

224.  BuchanneSS,  lat.  57°  28'  15";  one  light,  flashing 

every  5  seconds,  visible  16  miles;  115  feet  high; 
erected  1827. 

225.  Peterhead,  South  Harbour,  lat.  57°  30';  one  fixed 

light,   visible  10  miles;  26  feet  high;  erected 
1834. 

226.  Peterhead,    North    Harbour :   one   fixed   light, 

visible  10  miles  ;  32  feet  high;  erected  1849. 

227.  Fraserburgh,  Pier-head  and  Middle  Pier,  lat.  57° 

41'  30";  two  fixed  red  lights,  visible  5  miles; 
erected  1841. 

228.  Kinnaird  Head,  lat.  57°  41'  51";  one  fixed  light, 

visible  15  miles;  76  feet  high;  erected  1787. 

229.  Macduff,  North  Pier-head,  lat.  57°  40';  one  fixed 

light,  visible  6  miles. 

230.  Banff,  North  Pier-head,  lat.  57°  40';  one  fixed  light, 

visible  8  miles,  erected  1832. 

231.  Banff,  New  Harbour,  lat.  57°  40'  5";  two  fixed 

lights;  erected  1851. 

232.  Elgin  and  Lossiemouth,  South  Pier-head ;  one 

fixed  green  light ;  erected  1838. 

233.  Covesea  Skerries,  Craig  Head,  lat.   57°  43'  15" ;  one  light,   revolving 

every  minute,  visible  18  miles;  stone  lighthouse  18  feet  high;  erected 
1846. 

234.  Chauonry,  Point,  lat.  57°  34'  30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles;  stone 

lighthouse,  42  feet  high;  erected  1846. 

235.  Cromarty,  lat.  57°  41' ;  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles ;  42  feet  high ; 

erected  1846. 

236.  Tarbet  Ness,  lat.  57°  5l'54";  one  intermittent  light,  visible  2\  minutes, 

dark  £  minute;  visible  15  to  18  miles;  tower,  134  feet  high;  erected 
1830 

237.  Little  Ferry,  lat.  57°  56';  two  fixed  lights. 

238.  Latheronwkeel,  South  Head,  lat.  58°  16'  10";  one  fixed  light ;  erected 

1852. 

to  the  various  stories  is  by  ladders.  There  is  a  room  near  the  top,  in  which 
are  deposited  the  stores.  The  light  is  fixed  and  white,  of  the  second  order 
(dioptric),  and  the  mechanism  for  supplying  the  lamp  with  oil  is  of  the  most 
interesting  nature.  Oil  is  pumped  up  to  the  wick  by  clock-work ;  and  an 
alarm  sounds  during  the  whole  time  the  machine  is  in  motion,  so  that  any 
irregularity  is  immediately  announced  to  the  attendant.  The  light  will  be 
seen  from  about  S.W.  i  S.,  round  by  the  east  to  about  N.E.  \  N.,  or  as  far  as 
the  land  will  permit.  The  bearings  are  magnetic,  and  from  the  vessel.  A 
light  of  weaker  power  will  be  shown  from  the  channel  towards  Montrose  Har- 
bour." 


GIRDLENESS  LIGHT- 
HOUSE. 


APPENDIX.  299 

239.  Wick,  North  Pier-head,  lat.  58°  26';  two  fixed  lights  (gas),  visible  8  miles; 

34  feet  high;  erected  1851. 

240.  Noss  Head,  lat.  58°  28'  38" ;  one  light,  revolving  every  half  minute, 

visible  18  miles;  68  feet  high;  erected  1849. 

241.  Pentland  Skerries,  island,  58°  41'  22";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  18  and 

16  miles;  high  light,  118  feet  high;  low  light,  88  feet  high;  33  yards  dis- 
tant; erected  1794. 

242.  Dunnet  Head,  lat.  58°  40'  16";  one  fixed  light,  visible  23  miles;  66  feet 

high ;  erected  1831. 

243.  Holburn,  Little  Head,  Thurso  Bay,  lat.  58°  36'  50";  one  light,  flashing 

every  10  seconds,  visible  13  miles;  55  feet  high;  erected  1862. 

244.  Orkney  Isles,  Cantick  Head,  Hoy  Isle,  lat.  58°  47';  one  light,  revolv- 

ing every  minute,  visible  15  miles ;  brick  lighthouse,  73  feet  high ; 
erected  1858. 

245.  Orkney  Isles,  Hoy  Sound,  lat.  58°  56'  9";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  15  and 

11  miles ;   high  light,  Gremsa  Isle,  north-east  point,  108  feet  high, 
erected  1851;  low  light,  Gremsa  Isle,  north-west  point,  38  feet  high. 

246.  Orkney  Isles,  Kirkwall,  lat.  58°  59'  10";  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles; 

27  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

247.  Orkney  Isles,  Auskerry,   Stronsa  Firth,   lat.  59°  2';   one  fixed  light, 

visible  16  miles;  brick  lighthouse,  112  feet  high;  erected  1867. 

248.  Orkney  Isles,  Start  Point,  Sanday  Isle,  lat.  59°  itf  39";  one  fixed  light, 

visible  15  miles;  91  feet  high;  erected  1806. 

249.  Orkney  Isles,  North  Konaldsha,  lat.  59°  23'  15";  one  light,  flashing  every 

10  seconds,  visible  17  miles ;  brick  lighthouse,  139  feet  high ;  erected  1854. 

250.  Shetland  Isles,  Sumburgh  Head,  lat.  59°  51';  one  fixed  light,  visible 

22  miles;  stone  lighthouse,  55  feet  high;  erected  1821. 

251.  Shetland  Isles,  Bressay,   lat.  60°  tf  10";   one  light,   revolving  every 

minute,  visible  17  miles;  brick  lighthouse,  98  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

252.  Shetland  Isles,  Whalsey  Skerries,  lat.  60°  25' 24";  one  light,  revolving 

every  minute,  visible  17  miles ;  brick  tower,  98  feet  high ;  erected  1854. 

253.  Shetland  Isles,  North  Unst,  lat.  60°  51'  20";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

21  miles;  64  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

254.  Cape  Wrath,  north-west  point  of  Scotland,  lat,  58°  37' 30";  one  light, 

revolving  every  two  minutes,  visible  30  miles ;  tower,  65  feet  high  ; 
*      erected  1828. 

255.  Ru  Stoer,  lat.  58°  14'  10".     Now  building. 


NORTH   COAST. 

256.  South  Roua  Island,  lat.  57°  34'  31";  one  light,  flashing  every  12  seconds, 

visible  20  miles;  tower,  42  feet  high;  erected  1857. 

257.  Kyle   Akin,   Gilliean  Island,  lat.  57°  16'  39" ;  one  fixed  light,  visible 

11  miles;  70  feet  high;  erected  1857. 

258.  Oronsay  Island,  lat.  57°  8'  39";  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles;  63  feet 

high;  erected  1857. 

259.  Hebrides,  Butt  of  Lewis,  north  point,  lat.  58°  30'  40";  one  fixed  light, 

visible  18  miles;  lighthouse  tower,  120  feet  high;  erected  1862. 

260.  Hebrides,  Stornoway,  Arnish  Point,*  lat.  58°  ll'  28";  one  light,  revolv- 

ing every  30  seconds,  visible  12  miles;  45  feet  high;  erected  1852. 

*  This  lighthouse  reflects  a  light  on  Arnish  Beacon  (see  p.  274). 


300 


APPENDIX. 


WHALSEY  SKERRIES  LIGHTHOUSE. 

261.  Hebrides,  Monach,  Shillay  Island,  lat.  57°  31'  34";  two  lights— the  upper 
flashing  every  10  seconds,  visible  17  miles ;  the  lower,  fixed,  visible 
12  miles;  lighthouse  tower,  133  feet  high;  erected  1814. 

2G2.  Hebrides,  Scalpa,  Glass  Island,  lat.  57°5l'25";  one  fixed  light,  visible 
1C.  miles;  tower,  100  feet  high;  erected  1789. 

263.  Hebrides,  Ushenish,  South  Uist,  lat.  57°  17'  35";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

18  miles;  tower,  39  feet  high;  erected  1857. 

264.  Hebrides,  Barra  Head,  Bernera  Island,  lat.  56°  47'  8";  intermittent  light, 

visible  for  2£  minutes,  dark  for  J  minute;  visible  32  miles;  stone  light- 
house, 60  feet  high;  erected  1833. 

265.  Skerry  vore,  lat.  56°  19'  22";  one  light,  revolving  every  minute,  visible 

17  miles;  stone  lighthouse,  158  feet  high;  erected  1844. 

266.  Dubhe  Artach,  lat.  56°  8'.     Now  building. 

267.  Ardnamurchan  Point,  lat.  56°  43'  38";  one  fixed  light,  visible  18  miles; 

lighthouse,  118  feet  high;  erected  1849. 

268.  Mull  Sound,  Euna  Gal  Kock,  lat.  56°  38';  one  fixed  light,  visible  12 miles; 

tower,  63  feet  high;  erected  1857. 

269.  Lisinore,  Musdile  Island,  lat.  56°  27'  19";  one  fixed  light,  visible  14  miles; 

86  feet  high;  erected  1833. 

270.  Corran  Point,  Loch  Eil,  lat.  56°  43'  16";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles; 

42  feet  high;  erected  1860. 

271.  Oban,  pier,  lat.  56°  25';  two  fixed  lights;  erected  1858. 

272.  Phladda  Island,  lat.  56°  14' 48";  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles;  tower, 

42  feet  high;  erected  1860. 


APPENDIX. 


301 


273.  Crinan  Canal,  lat.  56°  5'  30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  four  miles;  erected 

1851. 

274.  Iron  Rock,*  lat.  55°  52'  30";  one  light,  revolving  every  minute,  visible 

14  miles;  83  feet  high;  erected  1865. 

275.  Rhu  Vaal,  Islay  Island,  lat.  55°  56'  6";  one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles; 

tower,  113  feet  high;  erected  1859. 

276.  Macarthur's  Head,  lat.  56°  56'  50";  one  fixed  light,  visible  17  miles ; 

42  feet  high;  erected  1861. 

277.  Rhynns,  or  Islay,   Oversay  Island,  lat.  55°  40'  20";  one  light,  flash- 

ing every  5  seconds,  visible  17  miles ;   tower,  96  feet  high ;  erected 
1825. 

278.  Loch-in-Dail,  Dune  Point,  Islay,  lat.  55°  44'  40";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

12 -miles;  erected  1869. 

279.  Port  Ellen,  lat.  55°  37'  13";  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles;  square 

tower,  65  feet  high ;  erected  1853. 

280.  Mull  of  Kintyre,  lat.  55°  18'  39";  one  fixed  light,  visible  22  miles;  38  feet 

high;  erected  1787. 

281.  Sanda,  Ship  Hock,  lat.  55°  itf  30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  17  miles; 

48  feet  high;  erected  1850. 


SHIP   ROCK   OF  SANDA   LIGHTHOUSE. 


282.  Davar  Island,  lat.  55°  25'  45";  one  light,  revolving  every  30  seconds, 
visible  15  miles;  stone  tower,  65  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

*  Sgeirmaoile,  or  Skeirvuile. 


302  APPENDIX. 

283.  Campbeltown,  pier-head,  lat.  55°  25'  30";  one  fixed  light. 

284.  Ardrishaig,  pier-head,  lat.  56°  0'  45";  one  fixed  light,  visible  4  miles  ; 

19  feet  high;  erected  1850. 

235.  Pladda  Island,  lat.  55°  26';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  17  and  14  miles ; 
towers,  95  feet  and  43  feet  high;  erected  1790. 

RIVER  CLYDE  AND  FIRTH  OF  CLYDE — Nos.  286  to  300. 
[286.  Cumbrae,  Little  Cumbrae  Island,  lat.  55°  43'  16";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

15  miles  ;  tower,  36  feet  high  ;  erected  1757. 

287.  Toward  Point,  lat.  55°  51'  45" ;  one  light,  revolving  every  52  seconds, 

visible  10  miles;  63  feet  high;  erected  1812. 

288.  Cloch  Point,  lat.  55°  56' 35";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  tower,  76  feet 

high;  erected  1797. 

289.  Greenock,  lat.  55°  57';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  8  miles;  erected  1834. 

290.  Greenock,  quay;  one  fixed  light,  visible  4  miles;  20  feet  high;  erected 

1829. 

291.  Greenock,  Garvel  Point;  one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles;  erected  1867. 

292.  Port-Glasgow,  beacon,  lat.  55°  56'  15";  one  fixed  red  light,  visible  3 

miles;  erected  1861. 

293.  Broomielaw ;  one  fixed  light,  gas. 

294.  Cardross;  one  fixed  red  light,  visible  4  miles;  black  stone,  34 'feet 

high;  erected  1849. 

295.  t  Garmoyle  Lightship  ;  one  fixed  light;  fixed  1868. 

296.  Dumb  lick ;  one  fixed  light  ;  erected  1868. 

297.  Bowling  Bay ;  one  fixed  light,  on  iron  tower,  visible  2  miles;  erected 

1849. 

298.  Bowling,  Donald's  Quay ;  one  fixed  red  and  bright  light ;  16  feet  high  ; 

erected  1869. 

299.  Park  Quay  ;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1869. 

300.  North  Bank,  opposite  New-Shot  Island ;  one  fixed  red  light,  on  iron 

tower,  erected  1869.] 

301.  Ardrossan,  breakwater,  lat.  55°  38'  27";  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles; 

tower,  23  feet  high;  re-built  1856. 

302.  Saltcoats,  pier,  lat  55°  37' 52";  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles;  18  feet 

high;  erected  1840. 

303.  Troon  Harbour,  lat.  55°  32'  55" ;  two  lights,  intermittent,  40  seconds 

bright  and  20  seconds  eclipsed  (gas),  visible  9  miles;  25  feet  high; 
erected  1827  at  inner  end  of  pier;  and  fixed  red  light,  visible  6  miles, 
25  feet  high,  at  pier-head;  erected  1848. 

304.  Ayr  Harbour,  north  pier,  lat.  55°  28' 10";  three  fixed  lights — a  tide  light, 

visible  4  miles ;  erected  1790 :  two  lights  in  tower,  62  feet  high,  visible 

16  miles;  erected  1826,  improved  1866. 

305.  Loch.  Ryan,  Cairn  Ryan  Point,  lat.  54°  57'  45";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

10  miles;  50  feet  high;  erected  1847. 

306.  Stranraer,  lat  54°  54'  40";  three  lights  on  pier,  one  visible  9  miles. 

307.  Corsewall  Point,  Loch  Eyan,  lat.  55°  0'  29";  one  light,  revolving  every  2 

minutes,  visible  15  miles;  lighthouse  tower,  110  feet  high;  erected  1817. 

308.  Port-Patrick,  lat.  54°  50'  20";   one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles;  stone 

tower,  30  feet  high;  erected  1790,  re-lighted  1856. 

309.  Galloway  Mull,  south  point,  lat.  54°  38'  9";   one  intermittent  light, 

visible  23  miles,  eclipsed  30  seconds  in  every  3  minutes;  stone  light- 
house, 86  feet  high;  erected  1830. 


APPENDIX.  303 

310.  Little  Ross  Island,  lat.  54°  56';  one  light,  flashing  every  5  seconds,  visible 

18  miles;  tower,  65  feet  high;  erected  1843. 

311.  Annan  River,  lat.  54°  57'  50";  one  fixed  light;  erected  1841. 


ENGLAND. 
WEST   COAST. 

312.  Skinburness,  near  Silloth,  lat.  54°  52' 30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  9 miles; 

wooden  lighthouse,  32  feet  high;  erected  1841. 

313.  §Lee  Scar,  lat.  54°  52';  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles;  45  feet  high; 

erected  1841. 

314.  t  Solway  Lightship,  lat  54°  48';  one  fixed  light,  red;  erected  1841. 

315.  Maryport,  south  wooden  pier,  lat  54°  43';  one  fixed  light  (gas),  visible 

6  miles;  erected  1796. 

316.  Maryport,  south  stone  pier;  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles;  35  feet 

high;  erected  1834. 

317.  Maryport,  jetty;  one  fixed  light,  visible  3  miles;  erected  1857. 

318.  Maryport,  north  tongue;  one  fixed  light  (gas),  visible  3  miles;  erected 

1857. 

319.  Workington,  John  Pier  arid  wooden  pier,  lat.  54°  39';  one  fixed  light, 

visible  11  miles;  23  feet  high;  built  in  1825,  improved  1866. 

320.  Harrington,  pier-head,  lat.  54°  37';  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles;  iron 

pedestal,  36  feet  high;  erected  1797. 

321.  Whitehaven,  West  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  33';  one  light,  revolving  every  two 

minutes,  visible  19  miles;  tower,  47  feet  high;  erected  1821. 

322.  Wh.iteb.aven,  North  Pier-head;  one  fixed  light. 

323.  Whitehaven,  Old  Quay;  one  fixed  light. 

324.  St.  Bees  Head,  lat.  54°  30'  50";  one  fixed  light,  visible  25  miles;  tower, 

55  feet  high;  erected  1866. 


ISLE   OF  MAN. 

325.  Ayre  Point,  lat,  54°  24'  56";  one  light,  revolving  every  2  minutes,  and 

visible  15  miles;  tower  99  feet  high;  erected  1818. 

326.  )  Peel,  lat.  54°  13';  one  fixed  light  at  entrance,  visible  8  miles;  erected 

327.  )  1811;  and  fixed  light  (argand)  on  breakwater;  erected  1865. 

328.  Port  Erin;  one  fixed  green  light;  erected  1867. 

329.  Calf  of  Man,   Calf  Island,  lat.  54°  3';    two  lights,  revolving  every  2 

minutes,  visible  24  and  22  miles;  one  70,  the  other  53  feet  high;  erected 
1818. 

330.  St.  Mary  Port,  pier-head,  lat.  54°  4';  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles  ; 

18  feet  high;  erected  1812. 

331.  Castletown,  pier-head,  lat.  54°  5';  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles:  18  feet 

high;  erected  1812. 

332.  Derby  Haven,  Fort  Island,  lat.  54°  5';  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles; 

45  feet  in  height  (during  the  fishing  season  only,  Aug.  12th  to  Oct.  10th.) 

333.  Derby  Haven,  end  of  breakwater;  one  fixed  light. 

334.  Douglas  Head,  lat.  54°  9';  one  fixed  light,  visible  14  miles  ;  tower,  65 

feet  high;  erected  1832. 
1262)  20 


304  APPENDIX. 

335a.  Douglas,  Old  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  10';  one  fixed  red  light,  visible  6  miles; 

43  feet  high;  built  1796;  re-built  1865. 

3356.  Douglas,  Promenade  Pier;  one  fixed  blue  light;  erected  1869. 
336.  Douglas,  new  landing-pier;  one  fixed  green  light;  erected  1868. 
337a.  and  337b.  Ramsay,  South  Pier-head,  lat.  54°  20';  fixed  red  light,  visible 

4  miles;  27  feet  high;  (dark  stone  tower)  erected  1845 :  North  Pier-head, 

one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles;  erected  1868. 
338.  t  Bahama  Bank  Lightship,  lat.  54°  20';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  miles; 

fixed  1848. 


ENGLAND. 

WEST    COAST. 

MORECAMBE  BAY — Nos.  339  to  345. 

[339.  Walney  Island,  lat.  54°  2'  56";  two  lights,  one  revolving  every  minute 
and  one  fixed,  visible  13  miles;  stone  tower,  60  feet  high;  erected  1790. 

340.  t  Morecambe  Bay  Lightship,  lat.  53°  54';  one  revolving  light,  flashing 

every  30  seconds,  visible  10  miles;  fixed  1863. 

341.  Poulton,  stone  pier,  lat.  54°  4'  20";  one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles;  stone 

tower,  50  feet  high;  erected  1851. 

342.  t  Lightship,  lat.  54°  l'  20";  one  fixed  red  light;  fixed  1854. 

343.  Lune  River,  Cockerham  Promontory,  and  Plover  Scar  Rock,  lat.  53°  59'; 

two  lights,  distance  834  yards;  one  lighthouse  of  wood,  erected  1847; 
the  other  of  stone. 

344.  §Wyre  River,  north-east  elbow  of  North  Wharf  bank,  lat  53°  57' 14";  one 

fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  erected  1840.* 

345.  Fleetwood,  lat.  53°  55'  36";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  13  and  9  miles; 

upper,  stone  lighthouse,  and  red  lantern ;  lower,  stone  colour ;  erected 
1841.] 

34&  Ribble  River,  north-east  of  entrance,  lat.  53°  44'  38";  one  intermittent 
light,  every  4  minutes,  visible  12  miles;  erected  1865. 

*  It  was  this  lighthouse,  we  presume,  which  underwent  so  extraordinary 
an  accident  on  Saturday,  February  19th,  1870.  About  half-past  ten  A.M.,  the 
schooner  Elizabeth  and  Jane,  of  Preston,  approached  the  mouth  of  the 
channel  opposite  Fleetwood.  Adjoining  the  channel  mouth,  and  about  three 
miles  from  the  latter  town,  is  situated  a  lighthouse  upon  screw  piles.  When 
about  half  a  mile  off  the  lighthouse,  the  captain  of  the  schooner  found  he  was 
drifting  towards  it,  and,  spite  of  all  his  exertions,  he  was  unable  to  change  her 
course,  as  the  tide  flowed  rapidly  inwards,  and  a  dead  calm  prevailed.  Before 
the  anchor  could  get  a  "hold,"  the  ship  ran  bow  foremost  into  the  piles, 
which  were  all  shattered  by  the  collision,  and  taking  up  the  body  of  the  light- 
house— a  huge  sexangular  timber  frame,  filled  in  with  windows,  and  sur- 
mounted  with  "a  large  revolving  (?)  light" — carried  it  away  on  her  forecastle. 
Two  keepers  were  in  the  lighthouse,  but  neither  was  hurt.  The  vessel,  how- 
ever, was  greatly  injured,  and  some  alarm  was  felt  lest  she  should  sink.  How- 
ever the  accident  was  seen  from  the  shore ;  a  tug  steamer  came  to  her  assist- 
ance, and,  with  the  lighthouse  on  board,  she  was  towed  into  port.  Until  a 
new  structure  can  be  raised,  a  lightship  will  be  stationed  in  a  suitable  locality 


APPENDIX.  305 

347.  Ribble  River,  New  Pier  ;  light  shown  about  2  hours  before  to  l£  hours 

after  high  water. 

348.  Eibble  River,  Lytham,  lat.  53°  44'  10";  one  fixed  light. 

MERSEY  AND  DEE  KIVERS,  ENTRANCE — Nos.  349  to  361. 
[349.  t  Liverpool,  North-west  Lightship  ;  lat.  53°  29'  30";  one  light,  revolving 
every  minute,  visible  11  miles;  fixed  1814. 

350.  t  Formby  Lightship,  lat.  53°  31'  40";   one  fixed  light,  visible  8  miles; 

fixed  1834. 

351.  t  Crosby  Lightship,  lat.  53°  30'  40";  three  fixed  lights,  visible  8  miles; 

fixed  1840. 

352.  Crosby  Point,  lat.  53°  31'  25";  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles;  light- 

house tower,  74  feet  high;  erected  1856. 

353.  Air  Point,  lat.  53°  22';  one  fixed  light,  visible  ten  miles  ;  circular  tower, 

65  feet  high;  erected  1776. 

354.  Hoy  lake,  lat.   53°  23'  40";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  13  and  11  miles ; 

towers,  64  feet  and  42  feet  high;  erected  1763. 

355.  Leasowe,  lat.  53°  24' 49";  one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles;  lighthouse 

110  feet  high;  erected  1763. 

356.  Bidston,  lat.  53°  24';  one  fixed  light,  visible  23  miles;  stone  lighthouse. 

68  feet  high;  erected  1771. 

357.  Rock,  lat.  53°  2tf  43";  one  light,  revolving  every  minute,  visible  14  miles; 

94  feet  high;  erected  1830. 

358.  Birkenhead,  New  Ferry  Pier;  one  fixed  light. 

359.  Runcorn,  Old  Quay,  lat.  53°  20';  one  fixed  light;  erected  1863. 

360.  t  Runcprn  Lightship;  one  fixed  light;  fixed  1866. 

361.  Woodside  Ferry;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1863.] 

362.  Great  Orme  Head,  North  Point,  lat.  53°  20'  35";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

24  miles;  square  castellated  stone  lighthouse;  erected  1862. 

363.  Menai,  Trwyn-Du  Point,  lat.  53°  18' 51";  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles; 

circular  castellated  tower,  96  feet  high;  erected  1837. 

364.  Beaumaris,  pier,  lat.  53°  15'  45";  one  fixed  red  light. 

365.  Lynu.S  Point,  lat.  53°  25';  one  intermittent  light,  visible  8  seconds,  ob- 

scured 2  seconds,  visible  16  miles;  castellated  tower,  36  feet  high; 
erected  1835. 

366.  Ami  well  Port,  north  pier,  lat.  53°  25';  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles; 

erected  1817. 

367.  Skerries  Island,  lat.  53°  25'  18";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  circu- 

lar tower,  75  feet  high;  erected  1714. 

368.  Holy  head,  New  Breakwater;  one  fixed  light,  visible  4  miles;  erected  1850. 

369.  Holy  head,  wooden  jetty;  one  fixed  light ;  erected  1864. 

370.  Holy  head,  inner  harbour,  port  side;  one  fixed  light,  green;  erected  1866. 

371.  Holyhead,  inner  harbour,  starboard  side;  one  fixed  light,  red;  erected  1866. 
372a.  Stack  Rock,  off  north-west  point  of  Holyhead  Island,  lat.  53°  18';  one 

light,  revolving  every  2  minutes,  visible  20 miles;  circular  tower,  84  feet 
high;  erected  1809.  ["During  foggy  weather,  a  bell  is  sounded,  and  a 
smaller  bright  light,  revolving  in  1J  minutes,  is  occasionally  shown 
about  40  feet  above  the  sea,  and  30  yards  north  of  the  main  lighthouse. 
A  gun  is  also  fired  from  the  North  Stack  every  hour  and  half-hour 
during  foggy  weather  ;  and,  when  the  mail  packets  are  expected,  every 
quarter  of  an  hour,  from  10.45.  A.M.  till  45  minutes  past  noon;  and 
again  from  11.45  P.M.  till  1.45  A.M."] 


306  APPENDIX. 

S72&.  J  Caernarvon  Lightship,  lat.  53°  5'  45";  one  light,  revolving  every  20 
seconds,  and  visible  10  miles;  fixed  1870. 

373.  Caernarvon,  Llanddwyn  Island,   lat.    63°  8';   one  fixed  light,   visible 

5  miles  ;  erected  1845. 

374.  Caernarvon,  pier-head;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1858. 

375.  Bardsey  Island,  lat.  52°  45';  one  fixed  light,  visible  17  miles;  square 

white  tower,  99  feet  high;  erected  1821. 

376.  Aberystwith,  pier-head,  lat.  52°  25';  two  fixed  lights;  erected  1864. 

377.  ^Cardigan   Bay  Lightship,  lat.  52°  22'  30";  one  light,  revolving  every 

30  seconds,  and  visible  9  miles;  fixed  1860. 

378.  South  Bishop  Rock,  lat.   51°  51';   revolving  light,  every  20  seconds; 

36  feet  high;  erected  1839. 

379.  Smalls  Kock,  lat.  51°  43'  20";  one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles;  circular 

tower,  141  feet  high;  erected  1778. 

BRISTOL  CHANNEL — Nos.  380  to  414. 
[380.  St.  Ann's  Point,  Milford  Haven,  lat  51°  4l' ;   two  fixed  lights,  high 

lighthouse,  visible  20  miles;  circular  tower,  75  feet  high;  erected  1714 : 

low  lighthouse,  visible  18  miles,  octagonal,   203  yards  south-east  of 

former,  42  feet  high. 
381.  New  Quay ;  one  fixed  light. 
382a.  Milford  Haven,  dockyard;  two  fixed  lights,  red;  46  feet  and  23  feet 

high;  erected  1862. 
3S2&.  JNeyland  Point  Lightship;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1868. 

383.  Caldy  Island,  lat.  51°  37'  56";  one  fixed  light,  visible  20  miles;  circular 

tower,  52  feet  high;  erected  1829. 

384.  Tenby,  pier-head  ;  one  fixed  red  light;  erected  1856. 

385.  Saundersfoot,  pier-head,  lat.  51°  42';  one  fixed  red  light. 

386.  Pembrey  Harbour,  lat  51°  41';  one  fixed  light,  visible  9  miles. 

387.  Llanelly,  south  end  of  breakwater,  lat.  51°  40';  one  fixed  light;  50  feet 

high;  erected  1850. 

388.  §Llanelly,  Whiteford Point;  one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles ;  erected  1854. 

389.  t  Helwick  Lightship,  lat  51°  3l';  one  light,  revolving  every  minute. 

390.  Mumbles  Island,  lat.  51°  34'  3";  one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles;  tower, 

56  feet  high;  erected  1798. 

391.  Swansea,  South  Pier-head,  lat.  51°  37';  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles  ; 

20  feet  high;  erected  1803. 

392.  Swansea,  South  Dock  entrance;  two  red  lights;  erected  1859. 

393.  Swansea,  North  Dock  entrance;  two  fixed  lights;  erected  1860. 

394.  Swansea,  New  Cut  bridge;  one  fixed  light. 

395.  I  Scar  weather  Lightship  ;  one  light,  revolving  every  20  seconds ;  fixed 

1862. 

396.  Porthcawl  Harbour,  south-east  end  of  breakwater ;  one  fixed  light ; 

erected  1860. 

397.  Porthcawl  Harbour,  north-west  end  of  breakwater;  two  fixed  red  lights; 

erected  1861. 

398.  Nash  Point,  lat.  51°  24';  high  lighthouse,  one  fixed  light,  visible  19  miles; 

111  feet  high :  low  lighthouse,  one  fixed  light,  visible  17  miles ;  60  feet 

high ;  erected  1832. 
309.  tBreaksea  Lightship,  lat.  51°  19'  48";  two  lights,  one  revolving  with  a 

flash  every  15  seconds,  one  fixed;  fixed  1866. 
400.  Flatholm  Island,  lat.  51°  22':  one  fixed  light,  visible  18  miles;  circular 

lighthouse,  99  feet  high;  erected  1737. 


APPENDIX.  307 

401.  Cardiff,  docks,  lat.  51°  27'  48";  two  fixed  red  lights. 

402.  Usk,  Newport,  lat.   51°  32' ;   one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles ;  tower, 

57  feet  high;  erected  1867. 

403.  Briton  Ferry  Dock ;  movable  tide  lights. 

404.  t  English  and  Welsh  Grounds  Lightship,  lat.  51°  26'  30";  one  light, 

revolving  every  minute,  visible  10  miles;  fixed  1838. 

405.  Portskewet,  pier-head;  one  fixed  red  light;  erected  1868. 

406.  New  Passage,  Charstone  Rock;  one  fixed  red  light;  erected  1868. 

407.  Avon,  east  side  of  entrance,  lat.  51°  30';  one  fixed  light,  visible  13  miles; 

octagonal  tower,  85  feet  high ;  erected  1840. 

408.  Portisliead,  pier;  two  fixed  lights. 

409.  Clevedoil,  pier-head;  one  fixed  light,  visible  7  miles;  erected  1869. 

410.  Bridgewater,   or  Burnham,  ^east  side    of    entrance  of    Parret  River, 

lat.  51°  15' ;  two  lights — upper,  intermittent,  visible  (15  miles)  for 
3j  minutes,  then  suddenly  eclipsed  £  a  minute ;  lower  light,  fixed, 
visible  9  miles;  high  lighthouse,  99  feet  high;  low  lighthouse,  36  feet 
high;  erected  1832. 

411.  Watchet  Harbour ;  one  fixed  red  light,  visible  4  miles ;  sexangular 

tower,  22  feet  high;  erected  1862. 

412.  Ilfracombe,  Lantern  HiU,  lat.  51°  13';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles; 

29  feet  high,  gas. 

413.  Bideford,  Braunton  Sands,  lat.  51°  4';  two  fixed  lights,  311  yards  apart ; 

86  and  15  feet  high  ;  erected  1820. 

414.  Lundy  Island,  lat.  51°  10'  7";  two  lights,  upper  revolving  every  two 

minutes,  the  lower  fixed,  visible  31  miles;  tower,  96  feet  high;  erected 
1820.] 

415.  Hartland  Point,  lat.  51°  l'  24";  lighthouse  proposed. 

416.  Trevose  Head,  lat.  50°  32'  55";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  20  and  17  miles; 

tower,  86  feet  high;  erected  1847. 

417.  GrOdrevy  Island,  lat.  50°  14';  two  lights,  flashes  every  10  seconds;  octa- 

gonal stone  tower,  86  feet  high;  erected  1859. 

418.  Padstow,  quay-head;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1868. 

419.  Hayle,  lat.  50°  ll'  30";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  six  miles;  erected  1840. 

420.  St.  Ives,  outer  and  inner  pier;  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  and  9  miles; 

erected  1860. 

421.  St.  Ives,  pier-head  ;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1831. 


IRELAND. 
SOUTH  AND  EAST  COASTS. 

422.  Fastnet,  lat.  51°  23'  18";  one  light,  revolving  every  two  minutes,  visible 

18  miles;  circular  tower,  92  feet  high;  erected  1854. 

423.  Kinsale,  Old  Head,  lat.  51°  36'  11";  one  fixed  light,  visible  21  miles; 

tower,  100  feet  high;  erected  1683. 

424.  Kinsale,  Fort  Charles,  lat.  51°  4l'48";  one  fixed  light,  visible  14  miles; 

48  feet  high;  erected  1804. 

425.  Cork  Harbour,*  Roche  Point,  lat.  51°  47'  33";  two  lights,  one  revolving 

every  minute,  and  one  fixed,  visible  10  and  8  miles ;  49  feet  high ; 
erected  1817. 

*  Or  Queenstown.  • 


308  APPENDIX. 

426.  §Cork  Harbour,  Spit  Bank,  lat.   51°  50'  41";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

5  miles;  erected  1848,  repaired  1853. 

427.  Cork  Harbour,  Lough  Mahon,  lat.   51°  53';  one  fixed  light;  erected 

1859. 

428.  Cork  Harbour,  Donkathel,  lat.  51°  54';  one  fixed  green  light. 

429.  Cork  Harbour,  Black  Eock  Castle,  lat.  51°  54';  one  fixed  light;  erected  1863. 

430.  Cork  Harbour,  King's  Quay,  lat.  51°  53';  one  fixed  light,  gas. 

431.  Cork  Harbour,  Tivoli,  lat.  51°  54';  one  fixed  light,  gas. 

432.  Bally COttin,   Outer  Island,  lat.  51°  49'  30";  a  flash  every  10  seconds, 

visible  18  miles;  tower,  50  feet  high;  erected  1850. 

433.  Youghal,  lat.  51°  56'  34";  one  fixed  light,  6  miles;  erected  1852. 

434.  Minehead,  lat.    51°  59'   33";  intermittent  light,  every  minute,  visible 

21  miles;  lighthouse,  68  feet  high;  erected  1850. 


EAST  AND  NOETH  COASTS. 

435.  Dungarvan,  Ballinacourty   Point;  one  fixed  light,  visible    10  miles; 

lighthouse,  44  feet  high;  erected  1858. 

436.  Waterford,  Hook  Town,  lat.  52°  7'  25";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles; 

tower,  115  feet  high;  erected  1791. 

437!  "Waterford,  Dunmore  Pier-head,  lat.  52°  9';  one  fixed  light,  visible 
5  miles;  lighthouse,  51  feet  high;  erected  1826. 

438.  Waterford,  Duncannon  Fort,  lat.  52°  13' 13";  two  fixed  lights,  visible 

10  miles;  25  feet  high;  erected  1774. 

439.  Waterford,  Duncannon;  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  tower,  35  feet 

high;  erected  1838. 

440.  §  Waterford,  Spit  off  Passage  Point ;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1867. 

441.  t  Saltees,  Coningbeg  Eock  Lightship,   lat.  52°  2  25";  two  fixed  lights, 

visible  10  and  8  miles;  fixed  1824. 

442.  Taskar  Rock,  lat.  52°  12'  9";  light  revolving  every  2  minutes,  visible 

15  miles;  circular  tower,  110  feet  high;  erected  1815. 

443.  t  Lucifer  Shoals  Lightship,  lat.  52°  21'  30"  ;  one  fixed  light,  visible 

8  miles;  fixed  1868. 

444.  t  Blackwater  Bank  Lightship,  lat.  52°  30'  10";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

10  miles;  fixed  1857. 

445.  t  Arklow  Lightship,  lat.   52°  40'  45";  revolving  every  minute,   visible 

10  miles;  fixed  1834. 

446.  t  Arklow  Lightship,  lat.  52°  53';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  10  and  8  miles; 

fixed  18G7. 

447.  Wicklow  Head,  lat.  52°  57'  50";  intermittent  light,  10  seconds  bright 

and  dark  3,  visible  16  miles  ;  tower  46  feet  high-  erected  1818,  altered 
1867. 

448.  t  Codling  Bank  Lightship,  lat.  53°  4'  40";  revolving  every  20  seconds, 

visible  9  miles;  fixed  1867. 

DUBLIN  BAY—  Nos.  449  to  456. 

[449.  t  Kish  Lightship,  lat.  53°  IS7  48";  revolving  every  minute,  visible  10  miles ; 
fixed  1811.  ["In  foggy  weather  a  gong  is  sounded,  and  a  gun  fired  with 
two  discharges  in  quick  succession,  commencing  at  5  P.  M.  and  at  6  P.  M.  , 
and  continued  every  fifteen  minutes  until  the  mail  packets  due  from 
Holyhead  have  fired  a  gun  in  reply,  when  a  signal  gun  from  lightship 
is  fired  in  answer. "] 


APPENDIX.  309 

450.  Kingstown,  East  Pier-head,  lat.   53°  18';  revolving  every  30  seconds, 

visible  9  miles;  lighthouse,  41  feet  high;  erected  1822. 

451.  Kingstown,  West  Pier-head;  one  fixed  light;  granite  tower,  29  feet  high; 

erected  1845. 

452.  Poolbeg,  south  wall,  lat.  53°  20'  30";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  12  miles, 

one  upper  and  one  lower ;  lighthouse,  63  feet  high ;  erected  1768. 

453.  Poolbeg,  north  wall,  lat.  53°  21';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles  ;  iron 

tower,  28  feet  high;  erected  1820. 

454.  Poolbeg,  one  fixed  light;  erected  1861.     (No  particulars  given.) 

455.  Bailey,  south-east  point  Howth  peninsula,  lat.  53°  21'  40";  one  fixed 

light,  visible  15  miles;  42  feet  high;  erected  1671. 

456.  Howth,  pier-head,  lat.  53°  24';  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles;  37  feet 

high;  erected  1818.] 

457.  Balbriggan,  pier,  lat.  53°  36'  45";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  53  feet 

high;  erected  1769. 

458.  Rockabill,  lat.  53°  35'  45";  one  light,  flashes  every  12  seconds,  visible 

18  miles ;  circular  gray  stone  lighthouse,  105  feet  high ;  erected  1860. 

459.  Lrogheda,  sand  hills,  lat.  53°  43';  three  fixed  lights,  visible  6  to  7  miles; 

on  timber  framework,  30  feet  high;  erected  1842. 

460.  §Dundalk,  entrance  of  channel,  lat.  53°  58'  40";  flashes  every  15  seconds, 

visible  9  miles;  erected  1855. 

461.  Dundalk;  two  fixed  lights;  erected  1861.     (No  particulars  given.) 

402.  Carlingford,  Haulbowline  Eock,  lat  54°  l';  two  fixed  lights,  visible 
15  miles;  tower,  111  feet  high;  erected  1823. 

463.  Carlingford,  Greenore  Point,  lat.  54°  l'  55";  revolving  every  45  seconds, 

visible  9  miles;  41  feet  high;  erected  1830. 

464.  Dundrum  Bay,  St.  John's  Point,  lat.  54°  13'  10";  one  intermittent  light, 

every  minute,  visible  12  miles;  erected  1844. 

465.  Ardglass  Harbour,  lat.  54°  15'  10";  one  fixed  light,  visible  6  miles; 

erected  1816. 

466.  South  Rock,  lat.  54°  23'  55";  revolving  every  90  seconds,  visible  12  miles; 

60  feet  high;  erected  1797. 

467.  Donaghadee  Harbour,  lat.  54°  38'  45";  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles; 

53  feet  high;  erected  1836. 

468.  Copeland  Island,  lat.  54°  41'  44";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  tower, 

52  feet  high;  erected  1796. 

NOETH  COAST. 

469.  Belfast  Bay,  Hollywood  Bank,   lat.   54°  39';    one  fixed  light,  visible 

5  miles;  erected  1848. 

470.  Larne  Lough,  Farrs  Point,  lat  54° 5l' 7";  one  fixed  light,  visible  11  miles; 

tower,  50  feet;  erected  1839. 

471.  Maidens  Rocks,  lat.  54°  55'  47";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  14  and  13  miles; 

one  tower  76  feet,  and  the  other  68  feet  high,  800  yards  apart ;  erected  1829. 

472.  Rathlin  Island,  Altacarry  Head;  lat.  55°  18' 10";  two  lights— the  upper, 

intermittent,   bright  50    seconds,   dark  10;  the  lower  fixed — visible 
21  miles;  lighthouse,  88  feet  high;  erected  1856. 

LOTJGH  FOYLE — Nos.  473  to  483. 

[473.  Inishowen,  Dunagree  Point,  lat.  55°  13' 38";  two  lights,  east  and  west, 
183  yards  apart;  visible  13  miles;  towers,  49  feet  high;  erected  1837. 


310  APPENDIX. 

474.  Warren  Point;  one  fixed  red  light;  erected  1861. 

475.  §  Red  Castle;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1852. 
470.  §  White  Castle;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1848. 

477.  §Ture  ;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1850. 

478.  §Cunnyberry,  one  fixed  light;  erected  1848. 

479.  Culmore  Point ;  one  fixed  light,  on  mast ;  erected  1848. 

480.  Culkeeragh  ;  one  fixed  light;  erected  1851. 

481.  Boom  Hall;  one  fixed  light;  red  brick  tower;  erected  1859. 

482.  JRosse  Bay  Lightship;  one  fixed  light;  fixed  1859. 

483.  Rock  Mill  (near) ;  one  fixed  light,  on  niast;  erected  1859.] 

484.  Inistrahull  Island,  lat.  55°  25'  55";  revolving  every  2  minutes;  42  feet 

high;  erected  1812. 

485.  Lough  S willy,  Fanad  Point,  lat.  55°  16'  33" ;  one  fixed  light,  visible 

14  miles;  26  feet  high;  erected  1816. 

486.  Tory  Island,  lat.  55°  16'  26";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  lighthouse, 

87  feet  high;  erected  1832. 

487.  Aranmore  Island,  Rlnrawros  Point,  lat.  55°  0'  52";  one  light,  flashes 

every  20  seconds,  visible  18  miles;  circular  tower,  76  feet  high;  erected 
1865. 


WEST  COAST. 

488.  Rathlin-o-Birne  Island,  lat.  54°  39'  47";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16 

miles;  circular  tower,  with  dome,  63  feet  high ;  erected  1856,  altered  1864. 

489.  Killybegs,   St.   John's  Point,  lat.   54°  34'  8";  one  fixed  light,  visible 

14  miles;  47  feet  high;  erected  1831. 

490.  Killybegs,  Rotten  Island,  lat.  54°  36' 51";  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles ; 

47  feet  high;  erected  1838. 

491.  SligO  Bay,  Black  Rock,  lat.  54°  18';  one  fixed  light,  visible  13  miles; 

lighthouse  tower,  47  feet  high;  erected  1838. 

492.  SligO  Bay,  Oyster  Island,  lat.  54°  18'  5";  two  fixed  lights,  visible  17  miles; 

each  tower  43  feet  high;  erected  1837. 

493.  Broadhaven,   Gubacashel  Point,   lat.   54°  16';    one  fixed  light,  visible 

12  miles;  50  feet  high;  erected  1855. 

494.  Eagle  Rock,  lat.  54°  17';  two  fixed  lights,  visible  20  miles;  one  87  feet, 

the  other  64  feet  high;  132  yards  distant. 

495.  Black  Rock,  lat.  54°  4'  10";  revolving  light,  with  flash  every  30  seconds, 

visible  23  miles;  circular  tower,  50  feet  high;  erected  1864. 

496.  Blacksod  Point,  lat.  54°  5'  54";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  granite 

tower  and  dwelling,  41  feet  high;  erected  1866. 

497.  Clare  Island,  lat.  53°  49' 30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  27  miles ;  39  feet 

high;  erected  1806. 

498.  Inishgort,  lat.  53°  49'  34";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  26  feet  high; 

erected  1827. 

499.  Slyne  Head,  Illaunimmul  Island,  lat.  53°  23'  58";  two  lights,  one  revolv- 

ing every  2   minutes,  visible  15  miles ;   one  fixed,  visible  14  miles  ; 
each  tower  79  feet  high,  142  yards  apart;  erected  1836. 

GAL  WAY  BAY— Nos.  500  to  502. 

[500.  Eeragh  Island,  West  Point,  lat.  53°  8'  55";  one  light,  revolving  every 
3  minutes,  visible  16  miles;  circular  tower,  101  feet;  erected  1857. 


APPENDIX.  311 

601.  Inisheer,  South  Point,  lat.  53°  2'  40";  one  fixed  light,  visible  15  miles ; 

circular  tower,  112  feet  high;  erected  1856. 
502.  Mutton  Island,  lat.  53°  15'  13";  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  34  feet 

high;  erected  1817.] 

RIVER  SHANNON — Nos.  503  to  507. 

[503.  Loophead,  lat.  52°  33' 38";  one  fixed  light,  visible  22  miles;  circular  white 
tower,  75  feet  high;  erected  1853. 

504.  Kilcradan  Point,  lat.  52° 34' 47";  one  fixed  light,  visible  16  miles;  43 feet 

high;  erected  1824. 

505.  Scattery  Island,  Kinana  Point.     Now  building. 

506.  Tarbert,  Rock,  lat.  52°  35'  30";  one  fixed  light,  visible  13  miles;  54  feet 

high;  erected  1834. 

507.  Beeves,  Rock,  lat.  52°  39';  one  fixed  light,  visible  10  miles;  40  feet  high; 

erected  1854.] 

508.  Tralee,  Samphire  Island,  lat.  52°  16'  14";  one  fixed  light,  visible  5  miles ; 

circular  lighthouse,  erected  1834. 

509.  Tearagllt  Island,  lat.  52°  4'.    Now  building.    Will  be  lighted,  probably, 

in  the  autumn  of  1870. 

510.  Valentia,  Cromwell's  Fort,  lat.  51°  $tf\  one  fixed  light,  visible  12  miles; 

lighthouse  48  feet  high;  erected  1841. 

511.  SkelligS  Rock,  lat,  51°  46'  14" ;  two  fixed  lights,  the  upper  visible  25  miles, 

and  lighthouse  48  feet  high;  the  lower,  visible  18  miles,  and  46  feet 
high.     The  upper  will  be  extinguished  when  Tearaght  is  completed. 

512.  Calf  Rock,  lat.  51°  34'  10";  one  light,  flashing  every  15  seconds;  visible 

17  miles ;  circular  tower,  painted  red,  with  white  belt ;  102  feet  high ; 
erected  1866. 

513.  Ban  try  Bay,  Roancarrig  Island,  lat.  51°  39'  10'';  one  fixed  light,  visible 

12  miles ;  circular  tower,  62  feet  high ;  erected  1847. 

514.  Crookhaven,  Rock  Island  Point,  lat.  51°  28'  35";  bne  fixed  red  light, 

visible  10  miles;  lighthouse,  45  feet  high;  improved  1867. 


II. 

A  NIGHT   IN  A   LIGHTSHIP. 

WHILE  these  sheets  were  passing  through  the  press  there  appeared 
in  the  Scotsman  a  graphic  and  interesting  sketch  of  "  A  Night 
in  the  Gull  Lightship,  off  the  Goodwin  Sands,"  from  the  able  and 
popular  pen  of  Mr.  E.  M.  Ballantyne  (March  26,  1870).  The  fol- 
lowing extracts  cannot  fail  to  be  acceptable  to  the  reader  : — 

"  A  little  before  midnight  on  Thursday  (the  24th),  while  I  was  rolling  un- 
easily in  my  'bunk,'  contending  with  sleep  and  sea-sickness,  and  moralising  on 
the  madness  of  those  who  choose  '  the  sea '  for  a  profession,  I  was  roused — 
and  sickness  instantly  cured — by  the  watch  on  deck  suddenly  shouting  down 
the  hatchway  to  the  mate,  '  Southsand-Head  light  is  firing,  sir,  and  sending 
up  rockets.'  The  mate  sprang  from  his  'bunk,'  and  was  on  the  cabin  floor 
before  the  sentence  was  well  finished.  I  followed  suit,  and  puDed  on  coat, 
nether  garments,  and  shoes,  as  if  my  life  depended  on  my  own  speed.  There 
was  unusual  need  for  clothing,  for  the  night  was  bitterly  cold.  On  gaining 
the  deck,  we  found  the  two  men  on  duty  actively  at  work — the  one  loading 
the  lee  gun,  the  other  adjusting  a  rocket  to  its  stick.  A  few  hurried  questions 
from  the  mate  elicited  all  that  it  was  needful  to  know.  The  flash  of  a  gun  from 
the  Southsand-Head  lightship,  about  six  miles  distant,  had  been  seen,  followed 
by  a  rocket,  indicating  that  a  vessel  had  got  upon  the  fatal  Goodwins.  While 
the  men  spoke,  I  saw  the  bright  flash  of  another  gun,  but  heard  no  report  — 
owing  to  the  gale  carrying  the  sound  to  leeward.  A  rocket  followed,  and  at 
the  same  moment  we  observed  the  light  of  the  vessel  in  distress  just  on  the 
southern  tail  of  the  Sands.  By  this  time  our  gun  was  charged,  and  the  rocket 
in  position.  '  Look  alive,  Jack;  get  the  poker,'  cried  the  mate,  as  he  primed 
the  gun.  Jack  dived  down  the  companion  hatch,  and  in  another  moment 
returned  with  a  red-hot  poker,  which  the  mate  had  thrust  into  the  cabin  fire 


APPENDIX.  313 

at  the  first  alarm.  Jack  applied  it  in  quick  succession  to  the  gun  and  the 
rocket.  A  blinding  flash  and  deafening  crash  were  followed  by  the  whiz  of  the 
rocket,  as  it  sprang  with  a  magnificent  curve  far  away  into  the  surrounding 
darkness.  This  was  our  answer  to  the  Southsand-Head  light,  which,  having 
fired  three  guns  and  three  rockets  to  attract  our  attention,  now  ceased  firing. 
It  was  also  our  note  of  warning  to  the  look-out  on  the  pier  of  Eamsgate  Har- 
bour. '  That's  a  beauty,'  said  our  mate,  referring  to  the  rocket  ;  '  get  up 
another,  Jack;  sponge  her  well  out,  Jacobs,  we'll  give  'em  another  shot  in  a 
few  minutes.'  Loud  and  clear  were  both  our  signals,  but  four  and  a  half 
miles  of  distance  and  a  fresh  gale  neutralized  their  influence.  The  look-out 
did  not  see  them.  In  less  than  five  minutes  the  gun  and  rocket  were  fired 
again.  Still  no  answering  signal  came  from  Eamsgate.  '  Load  the  weather 
gun,'  said  the  mate.  Jacobs  obeyed,  and  I  sought  shelter  under  the  lee  of  the 
weather  bulwarks,  for  the  wind  appeared  to  be  composed  of  penknives  and 
needles.  Our  third  gun  thundered  forth,  and  shook  the  lightship  from  stem 
to  stern ;  but  the  rocket  struck  the  rigging  and  made  a  low  wavering  flight. 
Another  was  therefore  sent  up,  but  it  had  scarcely  cut  its  bright  line  across  the 
sky  when  we  observed  the  answering  signal — a  rocket  from  Ramsgate  Pier. 

"  'That's  all  right  now,  sir;  our  work  is  done,'  said  the  mate,  as  he  went 
below,  and  quietly  turned  in,  while  the  watch,  having  sponged  out  and  re- 
covered the  gun,  resumed  their  active  perambulation  of  the  deck.  I  confess 
that  I  felt  somewhat  disappointed  at  the  sudden  termination  of  the  noise  and 
excitement !  I  was  told  that  the  Eamsgate  lifeboat  could,  not  well  be  out  in 
less  than  an  hour.  It  seemed  to  my  excited  spirit  a  terrible  thing  that  human 
lives  should  be  kept  so  long  in  jeopardy,  and,  of  course,  I  began  to  think,  'Is 
it  not  possible  to  prevent  this  delay  ? '  There  was  nothing  for  it,  however,  but 
patience,  so  I  turned  in  '  all  standing,'  as  sailors  have  it,  with  orders  that  I 
should  be  called  when  the  lights  of  the  tug  should  come  in  sight.  It  seemed 
but  a  few  minutes  after,  when  the  voice  of  the  watch  was  again  heard  shouting 
hastily,  '  Lifeboat  close  alongside,  sir.  Didn't  see  it  till  this  moment.  She 
carries  no  lights.'  I  bounced  out,  and  minus  coat,  hat,  and  shoes,  scrambled  on 
deck  just  in  time  to  see  the  Broadstairs  lifeboat  rush  past  us  before  the  gale. 
She  was  close  under  our  stern,  and  rendered  spectrally  visible  by  the  light  of 
our  lantern.  'What  are  you  firing  for?'  shouted  the  coxswain  of  the  boat. 
'  Ship  on  the  sands,  bearing  south,'  replied  Jack,  at  the  full  pitch  of  his  sten- 
torian voice.  The  boat  did  not  pause.  It  passed  with  a  magnificent  rush 
into  darkness.  The  reply  had  been  heard,  and  the  lifeboat  shot  straight  as  an 
arrow  to  the  rescue.  We  often  hear  and  read  of  such  scenes,  but  vision  is 
necessary  to  enable  one  to  realize  the  full  import  of  all  that  goes  on.  Again 


314  APPENDIX. 

all  was  silent  and  unexciting  on  board  of  the  Gull.  I  went  shivering  below, 
with  exalted  notions  of  the  courage  and  endurance  of  lifeboat  men.  Soon 
after,  the  watch  once  more  shouted,  '  Tug's  in  sight,  sir  ; '  and,  once  again,  the 
mate  and  I  went  on  deck.  The  Kamsgate  lifeboat  Bradford  was  in  tow  far 
astern.  As  she  passed  us,  the  brief  questions  and  answers  were  repeated  for 
the  benefit  of  the  coxswain  of  the  boat.  I  observed  that  every  man  in  the 
boat  lay  flat  on  the  thwarts  except  the  coxswain.  No  wonder.  It  is  not  an 
easy  matter  to  sit  up  in  a  gale  of  wind,  with  freezing  spray,  and  sometimes 
green  seas,  sweeping  over  one.  They  were,  doubtless,  wide  awake  and  listen- 
ing ;  but,  as  far  as  vision  went,  that  boat  waa  manned  by  ten  oilskin  coats 
and  sou'-westers.  A  few  seconds  took  them  out  of  sight  ;  and  thus,  as  far  as 
the  Gull  lightship  was  concerned,  the  drama  ended.  There  was  no  possibility 
of  our  ascertaining  more,  at  least  during  that  night,  for  whatever  might  be  the 
result  of  these  efforts,  the  floating  lights  had  no  chance  of  hearing  of  them 
until  the  next  visit  of  their  tender.  I  was  therefore  obliged  to  turn  in  once 
more,  at  3  A.M.  Next  forenoon  we  saw  the  wreck,  bottom  up,  high  on  the 
Goodwin  Sands. "  It  was  that  of  the  good  ship  Germania  of  Bremen. 


ALEXANDER  THE  GREAT,  anecdote 
of,  quoted,  26,  29. 

Alexandria,  the  pharos  of,  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world,  17  ;  its  archi- 
tect, 17,  18  ;  its  position,  20,  21  ; 
described,  21 ;  references  to,  in  the 
historians,  21,  22 ;  description  of,  by 
Edrisi,  22, 25,  26 ;  fables  concerning, 
26,  29. 

Alguada  reef,  lighthouse  on,  described, 
210. 

Ampellius,  Lucius,  his  description  of 
the  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  47. 

Anastasius,  the  librarian,  cited,  19. 

Annette,  the  isle  of,  described,  196; 
dangerous  character  of,  210. 

Apameia,  colony  of,  founded,  15,  16. 

Argand,  the  engineer,  his  efforts  in 
lighthouse  illumination,  70. 

A  very,  David,  his  establishment  of  a 
lightship  at  the  Scilly  Isles,  254,  255. 

BALLANTYNE,  R.  M.,  quoted,  312-314. 
Beachy   Head,  light  at,  referred  to, 

132. 
Beacons,  suggestions  for  lighting,  by 

Mr.  T.  Stevenson,  169,  170. 
Belle-Tout  lighthouse,  the,  described, 

207. 
Bell  Rock,  the,  position  of,  146,  147 ; 

the  legend  of  quoted,  147-149. 
Bell  Rock  lighthouse,  the,  story  of  its 

erection,   149-164;    description   of, 

165,  166;   how  managed,  166,  167; 

curious  incident  connected  with,  167. 
Bible,  the,  references  to  beacons  in,  12. 


Bishop  Rock  lighthouse,  the,  erection 
of  recorded,  196,  197. 

Black  Prince,  the,  lighthouse  erected 
at  Cordouan  by,  214. 

Board  of  Ballast,  the,  of  Dublin,  its 
functions  and  members,  55. 

Board  of  Trade,  the,  its  superintend- 
ence of  lighthouse-boards,  55. 

Borda,  the  mathematician,  his  reflect- 
ing apparatus,  71. 

Boulogne,  referred  to  by  Pliny  and 
Ptolemaeus,  30 ;  its  early  history,  30; 
the  Tour  d'Ordre  of,  described — See 
TOUR  D'ORDRE. 

Brick-making  amongst  the  Romans, 
description  of,  40,  41. 

Buff  on,  the  naturalist,  his  suggestions 
for  lighthouse  illumination,  77. 

Buoys,  as  aids  to  navigation,  270 ; 
various  kinds  of,  273 ;  modes  of 
lighting,  274 ;  how  shifted,  275. 

CALIGULA,  the  Emperor,  his  erection 

of  the  Tour  d'Ordre  at  Boulogne,  30. 
Calf  of  Man,  double  lights  at,  76. 
Capio,  pharos  at,  referred  to  by  Strabo 

the  geographer,  14. 
Caprese,  island  of,  pharos  on,  referred 

to,  13. 
Carcel,  the    engineer,   his    efforts  in 

lighthouse  illumination,  70. 
Carcel  lamp,  the,  described,  80. 
Carr  Rock,  erection  of  a  beacon  on, 

by  Mr.  R.  Stevenson,  168. 
Catoptric  system,  the,  of  illumination, 

described  at  length,  71-77. 


316 


INDEX, 


Caylus,  the  Comte  de,  his  demonstra- 
tion concerning  the  Rhodian  Apollo, 
44. 

Champollion,  his  account  of  the 
building  of  the  pharos  of  Alex- 
andria, 18. 

Chares,  the  sculptor  of  the  Colossus  of 
Rhodes,  the  story  of,  48. 

Chevreau,  TJrbain,  his  reference  to 
the  Colossus  of  Rhodes,  44. 

Chrysorrhoas,  lighthouse  on  the,  de- 
scribed by  Dionysius  of  Byzantium, 
13,  14. 

Claudius,  the  Emperor,  at  Boulogne, 
13. 

Colossus  of  Rhodes,  the,  fabled  mag- 
nitude of,  43  ;  was  it  ever  a  beacon- 
light?  44;  described  by  Pliny  and 
Philo,  47 ;  referred  to  by  Lucius  Am- 
pellius,  47  ;  the  authentic  facts  con- 
cerning, 47,  48  ;  its  sculptor's  career 
sketched,  48. 

Colour,  as  a  source  of  distinction 
between  lights,  76,  77. 

Condorcet,  the  philosopher,  his  sug- 
gestions for  lighthouse  illumination, 
77. 

Cordouan,  the  first  lighthouse  at,  213, 
214;  the  second,  described,  214; 
the  present  structure,  history  of, 
214,  215;  described,  216-218;  M. 
Michelet's  account  of,  218-221 ;  its 
illuminating  apparatus,  221,  222. 

Cornhill  Magazine,  quoted,  277. 

Crusius,  Martinus,  story  of  the  Alex- 
andrian pharos  quoted  from,  26,  29. 

DARLING,  GRACE,  the  story  of,  280, 
281. 

Delavigne,  Casimir,  the  poet,  quoted, 
224. 

Dionysius  of  Byzantium,  his  descrip- 
tion of  a  lighthouse  on  the  Chry- 
sorrhoas, 13,  14. 

Dioptric  system,  the,  of  lighthouse 
illumination,  described  in  detail, 
77,  78,  84-87. 

Double  lights,  the,  of  the  catoptric 
system,  how  exhibited.  76. 

Dover,  early  history  of  the  castle,  38  ; 
the  tower,  its  present  appearance 
described,38-40 ;  its  history  sketched, 
41,  42. 


Dubhe-Artach  Rocks,  the,  described, 

208  ;  proposed  lighthouse  on,  209. 
Dungeness,  the  red  light  at,  132. 

EDDYSTONE  ROCKS,  the,  position  of, 
described,  108,  109. 

Eddystone  lighthouse,  the,  of  Win- 
stanley,  its  erection  narrated,  109- 
113  ;  its  destruction,  113 ;  of  Rud- 
yerd,  113-116;  its  conflagration,  116- 
118 ;  a  romantic  narrative  connected 
with,  118,  119 ;  of  Smeaton,  its 
erection  described,  121-129  ;  its 
present  condition,  129,  130. 

Edinburgh  Review,  cited,  55,  69. 

Edrisi,  the  historian,  his  description 
of  the  Alexandrian  pharos,  22-26. 

Egger,  M.,  on  the  Tour  d'Ordre  at 
Boulogne,  32,  35,  36. 

Egypt,  the  light-towers  of,  described, 
10. 

Empiricus,  Sextus,  the  Pyrrhonist,  on 
the  sculptor  of  the  Colossus  of 
Rhodes,  48. 

Enfant  Perdu,  the,  lighthouse  on,  its 
difficult  construction,  250. 

English  Channel,  the,  lights  in,  enu- 
merated, 131,  132. 

Esquiros,  M.  Alphonse,  his  descrip- 
tion of  Trinity  House,  quoted,  58- 
61  ;  his  account  of  life  on  board  a 
lightship,  255,  256. 

FARADAY,   Professor,   his    system  of 

ventilation  for  lighthouses,  101,  102. 
Fastnet  Rock,  revolving  light  on  the, 

204 ;   the  lighthouse  on,  described, 

204-206. 
Fire-towers  amongst  the    Egyptians, 

10,  12  ;  reference  to,  in  Homer  and 

the  Bible,  12. 
Fixed  light,    the,    of    the    catoptric 

system,  how  obtained,  74. 
Fixed  light,  varied    by  flashes,   em- 
ployed in  France,  92,  93. 
Flashing  light,  the,  of  the  catoptric 

system,  how  effected,  75. 
Foix,  Louis  de,  the  Parisian  architect, 

his  erection  of  a  tower  at  Cordouan, 

215. 
Forfarshire,   the,   wreck  of,  referred 

to,  280,  281. 
France,  number  of  lighthouses  in,  56 ; 


INDEX. 


317 


its  system  of  lighthouse  administra- 
tion, 56,  57. 

Fresnel,  Jean  Augustin,  the  engineer, 
his  career  sketched,  78,  79;  his 
system  of  lighthouse  illumination 
described,  86,  89 ;  his  revolving  light 
and  apparatus  explained,  90,  91 ; 
his  lenticular  system,  222. 

GASCONY,  Gulf  of,  described  by  M. 
Michelet,  262. 

Grand  Barge  d'Olonne,  the  light- 
house of,  its  construction  described, 
245,  246. 

Greeks,  the,  lighthouses  among,  10. 

Gregory  of  Tours,  the  historian,  his 
employment  of  the  word  "  pharos," 
19. 

Gunfleet,  the  lighthouse  at,  on  piles, 
207,  208. 

HAMBLIN,  EGBERT,  his  establishment 
of  a  lightship  at  the  Nore,  254,  255. 

Harwich,  the  light  at,  66. 

H6aux,  of  Brghat,  the  lighthouse  of, 
story  of  its  erection,  233-237,  240- 
243  ;  its  submarine  portion,  237  ;  its 
rocky  foundation,  238  ;  its  stability, 
238 ;  the  principle  of  its  construc- 
tion, 239,  240 ;  its  resistance  to  the 
waves,  243,  244. 

Hercules,  his  fabled  invention  of 
lighthouses,  10 ;  the  Pillars  of,  his- 
torical memoranda  concerning,  265, 
266. 

Herodian,  the  historian,  his  descrip- 
tion of  Roman  light-towers,  14. 

Hesychius,  the  historian,  his  account 
of  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  266. 

H£ve,  La,  legend  connected  with, 
226-228 ;  position  of  described, 
228 ;  lighthouses  of,  details  con- 
cerning, 228-232. 

Homer,  reference  to  fire-towers  in,  12. 

Honduras,  the  mahogany  of,  144. 

ILLUMINATING  APPARATUS,  the,  of 
lighthouses,  treated  in  detail, 
68-95. 

Inchkeith,  isle  of,  lighthouse  on,  145. 

Intermittent  light,  the,  of  the  catop- 
tric system,  how  distinguished,  75, 
76. 


Ireland,  the  coast  of,  lights  on,  enu- 
merated, 201-204. 

Isaiah,  the  prophet,  his  reference  to 
beacons,  12. 

JOSEPHUS,  the  historian,  his  account 
of  the  pharos  at  Alexandria,  21. 

LA  HEVE,  the  two  lighthouses  of,  elec- 
tric and  lenticular  apparatus  at,  81, 
83. 

Lamps  as  a  means  of  lighthouse  illu- 
mination, 69,  70 ;  the  various  kinds 
employed  in  modern  lighthouses, 
79-81. 

Landmarks,  early  historical  instances 
of,  264,  265  ;  the  Pillars  of  Hercules, 
265,  266 ;  Pompey's  Pillar,  266,  2C9, 
270. 

Land's  End,  the,  described,  193,  194. 

Leon  of  Ostia,  cited,  20. 

Lesches,  pharos  erected  by,  12,  13. 

Light,  the  electric,  as  a  means  of  light- 
house illumination,  81-84. 

Light,  the  refraction  of,  84. 

Lighthouse  commission  of  France, 
buildings  of,  referred  to,  61. 

Lighthouse  illumination,  history  of, 
sketched,  69-71. 

Lighthouse,  an  iron,  described,  204- 
206  ;  on  piles,  2C7. 

Lighthouse  keeper,  the,  his  duties  de- 
tailed, 276-279  ;  in  France,  285-288. 

Lighthouses,  early  history  of,  9-43; 
how  administered,  49-61 ;  their  geo- 
graphical distribution,  62-67;  the 
illuminating  apparatus  of,  68-94; 
the  skill  required  in  their  construc- 
tion, 95  ;  the  conditions  of  their  erec- 
tion, 96 ;  number  of  men  required 
for,  97,  98,  102 ;  their  capability  of 
resistance  to  wind  and  wave,  98 ; 
internal  arrangements  of,  99-102; 
duties  of  their  keepers,  102-104  ;  of 
Great  Britain,  108-211 ;  of  France, 
212-252  ;  the  auxiliaries  of,  256-275  ; 
life  in,  described,  276-288. 

Lights,  variety  of,  62,  63,  67  ;  sea,  63  ; 
secondary,  64 ;  harbour,  65 ;  the 
leading  five,  65,  66  ;  their  recent  in- 
troduction, 66  ;  danger  of  a  too  great 
multiplicity,  66, 67 ;  a  list  of,  289-311. 

Lightships,  first  instituted  by  Avery 


318 


INDEX. 


and  Hamblin,  254,  255;  described, 
256-257;  how  managed,  257,  258; 
British  and  Irish,  258 ;  of  the  United 
States,  259;  their  crews,  259-261; 
life  on  board,  261-263 ;  a  night  on 
board  a  lightship,  312-314. 

Lizard  lights,  the,  referred  to,  130. 

Lizard  Point,  lighthouses  on,  de- 
scribed, 197-199. 

Longfellow,  the  poet,  his  piece  on  the 
lighthouse  quoted,  279,  280. 

Louis  XIV.  of  France,  anecdote  of, 
115,  116. 

Lovet,  Captain,  his  lease  of  the  Eddy- 
stone  rock,  113. 

Lowestoff,  the  lighthouse  at,  108. 

Lucan,  the  Roman  poet,  his  reference 
to  the  pharos  of  Alexandria,  22. 

MAHOGANY,  the,  of  Honduras,  144. 

Maplin  Sands  lighthouse  described, 
206,  207. 

Marstrand,  Sweden,  revolving  appar- 
atus for  illumination  at,  71. 

Martineau,  Miss,  quoted,  269,  270. 

May,  isle  of,  the  light  on,  140. 

Messina,  pharos  at  the  mole  of,  13. 

Michelet,  M.  Jules,  on  the  Gulf  of 
Gascony,  212 ;  on  Cordouan  and  its 
lighthouse,  218-221. 

"  Moderator"  lamp,  the,  described,  80. 

Montfaucon  on  Roman  light-towers, 
14, 15 ;  on  the  pharos  at  Alexandria, 
17,  18,  26-29 ;  on  the  etymology  of 
the  word  "pharos,"  18,  19. 

Morlent,  author  of  "  Monographic  du 
Havre,"  his  description  of  Sainte- 
Adresse,  225. 

NEEDLES  DOWN,  the,  Isle  of  Wight, 
old  lighthouse  on,  97. 

Needles  Point,  Isle  of  Wight,  light- 
house on,  erection  recorded,  97, 189  ; 
described,  189-191. 

New  Caledonia,  the  lighthouse  at  de- 
scribed, 250,  251 ;  inauguration  of, 
252. 

Nore,  the,  lightship  at,  mentioned, 
132. 

Northern  Lights,  the  commission  of, 
its  composition,  54,  55. 

North  Foreland,  the,  lighthouse  at, 
201. 


OIL,  the,  employed  in  lighthouses  of 
Great  Britain  and  France,  81. 

Ostia,  pharos  erected  at,  by  Emperor 
Claudian,  13. 

PARIS,  MATTHEW,  the  chronicler, 
cited,  23. 

Past,  a  nation's,  importance  of  cherish- 
ing, 36. 

"Permanent  level"  lamp,  the,  de- 
scribed, 80. 

Pharos,  island  of,  lighthouse  erected 
on,  13 ;  position  and  history  of,  20, 
21. — See  ALEXANDRIA. 

Pharos,  etymology  of  the  word,  18, 19  ; 
its  employment  by  historians,  19, 
20. 

Philips,  Mr.,  the  founder  of  the  Smalls 
lighthouse,  133,  134. 

Philo  of  Byzantium,  his  reference  to 
the  Rhodian  Colossus,  47,  48. 

Pliny,  his  account  of  the  pharos  at 
Alexandria,  18,  21,  22  ;  his  reference 
to  Boulogne,  30 ;  his  information 
concerning  the  Colossus  of  Rhodes 
quoted,  47,  48. 

Plymouth  breakwater,  the  lighthouses 
at,  199. 

Point  of  Ayre  lighthouse,  the,  referred 
to,  208. 

Pompey's  Pillar,  historical  memoranda 
concerning,  266-269. 

Fonts  et  Chaussees,  department  of,  in 
France,  its  functions  and  function- 
aries, 57. 

Portland  Bill,  the  lighthouse  at,  men- 
tioned, 201. 

Ptolemseus,  the  Emperor,  supposed 
founder  of  the  pharos  of  Alexandria, 
17,  18. 

Ptolemaeus,  the  geographer,  his  refe- 
rence to  Boulogne,  30. 

Puckle,  Rev.  J.,  the  historian  of  Dover 
Castle,  quoted,  39-41. 

Puteoli,  pharos  at  the  port  of,  referred 
to,  13. 

QUATREFAGES,  M.  DE,  quoted,  243, 244. 

RAVENNA,  pharos  erected  at,  by  Augus- 
tus, 13. 

Reflectors,  the  plan  of,  in  lighthouse 
illumination,  70. 


INDEX. 


319 


llenard,  M.,  author  of  "  Le  Phares," 

quoted,  10,  63,  223. 
Eevolving  light,  the,  of  the  catoptric 

system,  how  produced,  74. 
Kevolving  red  and  white  light  of  the 

catoptric  system,  how  produced,  74, 

75. 
Eeynaud,  M.  Lfionce,  the  engineer,  his 

erection  of  lighthouse  at  H6aux  of 

Breliat,  233-240 ;  cited,  71. 
Rhodes,  the  Colossus  of. — See  COLOS- 
SUS. 
Eonaldshay,  North,  the  lighthouse  at, 

mentioned,  142. 
Eonsard,  the  French  poet,  his  tribute 

to  Charles  IX.,  quoted,  20. 
Eudyerd,  John,  his  lighthouse  on  the 

Eddystone  described,   113-115 ;   its 

destruction,    116-118 ;    a   romantic 

episode  connected  with,  118,  119. 
Eumford,  the  engineer,  his  efforts  to 

increase  the  illuminating  power  of 

lamps,  80. 

SAINTE-ADRESSE,  the  vale  of,  de- 
scribed, 225  ;  origin  of  the  word,  225, 
226. 

Saint-Pierre,  Bernardin  de,  the  French 
writer,  226-228. 

Scilly  Isles,  wrecks  on  the,  196. 

Scotland,  coast  of,  administration  of 
lights  on,  139-141. 

Scott,  Sir  Walter,  quoted,  145. 

Sea-birds  as  lighthouse  signals,  107. 

Serapion,  the,  historical  memoranda 
concerning,  266,  269. 

Shovel,  Sir  Cloudesley,  wrecked  on 
Scilly  Isles,  196. 

Sigeum,  pharos  erected  on  the  pro- 
montory of,  13. 

Skerries,  the,  Stevenson's  lighthouse 
on,  141,  142. 

Skerryvore  Eock,  the,  its  position,  171; 
danger  and  desolation,  172 ;  Mr. 
Alan  Stevenson's  inspection  of,  172, 
174. 

Skerryvore  Lighthouse,  the  story  of  its 
erection,  174-180;  its  illuminating 
apparatus  described,  180. 

Smalls  lighthouse,  the,  its  founder 
133,  134  ;  its  engineer,  134  ;  and  ad 
venture  of,  134-137;  a  painful  inci 
dent  connected  with,  137,  138. 


Smeaton,  John,  his  career  sketched, 
119,  120;  his  erection  of  a  light- 
house on  Eddystone  described,  121- 
129. 

Smiles,  Mr.  Samuel,  cited,  110,  119, 
122,  129. 

Sostrates,  architect  of  the  pharos  of 
Alexandria,  story  of,  17,  18. 

South  Foreland,  lighthouse  on  the, 

282.' 

•outh  Stock  lighthouse,  warning  ap- 
paratus at,  107. 

Southey,  the  poet,  his  ballad  of  "  Ealph 
the  Eover,"  147-149. 

St.  Agnes  Light,  the,  mentioned, 
130. 

Start  Point,  lights  at,  referred  to,  130; 
Stevenson's  erection  of  a  beacon  at, 
142-144. 

St.  Catherine's  Down,  old  lighthouse 
on,  192 ;  proposed  new  lighthouse 
on,  97,  192. 

St.  Catherine's  Point,  lighthouse  on, 
referred  to,  192,  193. 

Stevenson,  Mr.  Thomas,  the  engineer, 
quoted,  66,  72,  76,  85,  88,  89  ;  his 
holophotal  system  of  illumination, 
91,  92,  94;  his  marine  dynamometer, 
98;  his  suggestions  for  lighting  bea- 
cons and  buoys,  169,  170. 

Stevenson,  Mr.  Alan,  quoted,  103, 104, 
121;  his  inspection  of  the  Skerry- 
vore Eock,  172-174 ;  erection  of 
a  lighthouse  on  the  Skerryvore, 
174-180 ;  account  of  the  Skerry- 
vore quoted  from,  172,  passim. 

Stevenson,  Mr.  Eobert,  his  erection  of 
a  lighthouse  on  the  Skerries,  141, 
142  ;  the  story  of  his  Bell  Eock 
lighthouse,  149-164;  his  erection  of 
a  beacon  on  Carr  Eock,  168;  quoted 
from,  142,  passim. 

St.  Hilaire,  the  church  of,  its  con- 
flagration described  by  Gregory  of 
Tours,  19. 

Strabo,  the  historian,  his  reference  to 
the  pharos  at  Capio,  14;  his  account 
of  the  Colossus  of  Ehodes,  44 ;  his 
mention  of  the  Pillar  of  Hercules, 
265,  266. 

Suetonius,  the  historian,  cited,  13. 
Sunderland,    the    lighthouse    at,    its 
erection  described,  182-186. 


,262) 


21 


320 


INDEX. 


TEULERE,  the  engineer,  his  studies 
aud  inventions  in  lighthouse  illu- 
mination, 70,  71. 

TJiames,  the,  steamer,  wrecked  on 
Scilly  Isles,  196. 

Thetis,  the  ocean-goddess,  legend  of, 
12. 

Thucydides,  the  historian,  quoted,  43. 

Tithonus,  legend  of,  12. 

Tour  de  Cordouan,  lamp  in,  described 
by  Mr.  Stevenson,  88.. 

Tour  d'Ordre,  the,  of  Boulogne,  built 
by  Caligula,  130 ;  early  history  of, 
31 ;  destruction  of,  32  ;  the  tribute 
connected  with,  32 ;  description  of 
its  remains,  35,  36;  the  worthy  sub- 
stitute for,  36,  37. 

Tradition,  how  carelessly  accepted, 
43. 

Trinity  House,  history  of,  summarized, 
50-53 ;  interior  organization  of,  53, 
54 ;  functions  of  its  members,  54 ; 
the  building,  described  by  Esquiros, 
58-61. 

UNITED  KINGDOM,  number  of  light- 
houses in,  enumerated,  56. 

Unst,  North,  island  of,  lighthouse  at, 
described,  181. 


sor  Faraday's  system  of,  stated,  101, 
102. 

Virgil,  the  poet,  quoted,  196. 

Vivian,  the  engineer  of  Cayenne,  on 
the  Enfant  Perdu,  250. 

Vossius,  Isaac,  story  of  the  Alexan- 
drian pharos,  quoted  from,  26. 

WALDE,  the  lighthouse  of,  referred  to, 
250. 

White,  Walter,  quoted,  193,  194,  200, 
201. 

Whiteside,  the  engineer  of  the  Smalls 
lighthouse,  an  adventure  of,  134- 
137. 

Wight,  isle  of,  lights  of,  mentioned, 
131. 

Wilde,  Mr.,  of  Manchester,  his  inven- 
tion of  an  electro-magnetic  appara- 
tus for  lighthouse  illumination,  83, 
84. 

Winstanley,  Henry,  his  eccentric 
genius,  109;  the  erection  of  his  light- 
house on  the  Eddystone  described, 
110-113. 

Wolf's  Crag  lighthouse,  the,  described, 
195,  196. 

Wordsworth,  the  poet,  on  Grace  Dar- 
ling, 281. 


hthouses,  Profes-    ZACH,  the  Baron  de,  cited,  10,  11. 


rrf 


Eddystone  Lighthouse  (Frontispiece). 

The  Beacon  Fire,        ..              ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  1 

A.  Roman  Pharos,       ..               ..               ..  ..  ..  ..  15 

A  Medal  of  Apameia,                ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  16 

Ancient  Pharos  of  Alexandria,                 . .  . .  . .  . .  23 

Modern  Lighthouse  of  Alexandria,          . .  . .  . .  . .  27 

Tour  d'Ordre  of  Boulogne,        . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  33 

The  Tower  at  Dover,                  ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  39 

The  Colossus  of  Rhodes,            . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  45 

Trinity  House,            . .               . .               . .  . .  . ,  . .  58 

Lighthouse  on  a  Rocky  Headland,           . .  . .  . .  . .  64 

Catoptric  Apparatus,                 ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  72 

An  Argand  Fountain  Lamp,     . .              . .  .  .•  . .  . .  74 

Revolving  Apparatus  on  the  Catoptric  Principle,  . .  . .  75 

Annular-built  Lens,   . .              . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  78 

Electric  Apparatus  for  Fixed  Light,        . .  . .  . .  . .  82 

Annular  Lens  of  First  Order,    . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  85 

Diagram,  Illustrating  Progress  of  Luminous  Ray  in  a  Catadioptric  Ring,  87 

Fresner's  Revolving  Light,        ..              ..  ..  ..  -.  90 

Stevenson's  Holophotal  Light,      .             . .  . .  . .  . .  91 

Stevenson's  Fixed  Light  varied  by  Flashes,  . .  . .  •  •  92 

Fresner's  Fixed  Light  Apparatus,            . .  . .  . .  •  •  93 

French  Fixed  Light  Apparatus, 

Cupola  of  First-class  Lighthouse,             . .  . .  •  •  •  •  100 

Sea-Birds  attracted  by  Lighthouse  Rays,  . .  . .  105 

Winstanley's  Eddystone  Lighthouse,       . .  . .  . .  Ill 

Smeatons  Lighthouse  at  the  Eddystone,  ..  ..  ••  127 


322  LIST  OF  ILL USTRA TIONS. 

The  Lightship  at  the  Nore,       ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  131 

The  Smalls  Lighthouse,             . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  135 

Inchkeith  Lighthouse,               . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  146 

Biiilding  the  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,  ..  ..  ..  ..  150 

The  Bell  Rock  Lighthouse,       . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  163 

Skerryvore  Lighthouse,              . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  178 

North  Unst  Lighthouse,            ..  ..  ..  .  ..183 

Transporting  a  Lighthouse,       . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  187 

Needles  Lighthouse,                   ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  190 

Wolf 's  Crag  Lighthouse,            ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  195 

Bishop  Rock  Lighthouse,           . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  197 

Lizard  Point  Lighthouse,          . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  198 

Plymouth  Breakwater  Lighthouse  . .  . .  . .  . .  J.99 

North  Foreland  Lighthouse,     . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  201 

South  Foreland  Lighthouse,      . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  202 

Holyhead  Lighthouse,                ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  203 

Kinsale  Lighthouse,    . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  204 

Fastnet  Rock  Liglithouse          . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  205 

Maplin  Sands  Lighthouse,         . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  206 

Alguada  Reef  Lighthouse,         ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  209 

Ancient  Tower  of  Cordouan,     . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  215 

Present  Lighthouse  of  Cordouan,  ..  ..  ..  ..  219 

Interior  of  Cordouan  Lighthouse,  . .  . .  . .  . .  222 

Lighthouse  of  Cape  La  HSve,    ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  229 

Erection  of  Lighthouse  at  the  H6aux,      . .  . .  . .  . .  241 

Lighthouse  of  the  Enfant  Perdu,  . .  . .  . .  . .  247 

Lighthouse  at  New  Caledonia,  ..  ..  ..  ..  251 

The  Lightship,            ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  257 

Pompey's  Pillar,         . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  267 

A  Floating  Beacon,    . .              . .  . .  . .  . .  . .  271 

The  Arnish  Beacon,    ..              ..  ..  ..  ..  ..  274 

Eddystone  Lighthouse  in  a  Storm,  . .  . .  . .  .  *  283 

Girdleness  Lighthouse,              . ,  .  „     *        . .  . .  . .  298 

Whalsey  Skerries  Lighthouse,  , .  . .  . .  . .  300 

Ship  Rock  of  Sanda  Lighthouse,  ..  ..  ..  ..  301 


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